Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure
by lovesfiftyshades
Summary: Who knows Christian Grey better than anyone? Gail Jones of course! Hear her story...from the very first day with young Christian when he was just getting started as she watches him grow to be the man we all know and love...she has secrets we would all like to know...but will she share them? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

My first attempt at FF so be gentle...I've never read Mrs. Jones POV...I love FSOG and Christian and Ana and Taylor and Gail more than anything...so here goes.

All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.

ONLY YOUR HOUSEKEEPER KNOWS FOR SURE...

It's always stressful to find a new job but this has taken me to an all new anxiety level. The agency I have always worked through has contacted me after I notified them I needed a new full time preferably live in assignment.

I have worked for high profile employers before but this has to be someone really special. The first thing I have to do is sign a nondisclosure agreement...really? Who would I talk to about cleaning and cooking? I am pretty much a loner having only one sister that I see every few months or so when I have the occasional weekend off. Having just spent time with her between jobs I know I won't see her again soon, we will probably talk every week or so but just to check in and see how each other are doing, not to discuss our jobs.

The paperwork is signed and apparently I have met all the prerequisites and requirements and this mystery employer wants to meet with me. I have never really been nervous to meet for an interview, this is what I do...it's all I've ever done. My precious mother taught me at an early age that cleanliness was next to godliness and that everything had a place and once you were done with that thing, no matter what it was, it went back to it's place. I started working for pay on my 16th birthday cleaning and cooking for people and then worked every weekend and holiday or break all they way through 4 years of college. Yes, I am a housekeeper with a college education in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Another thing my mother insisted on, get an education and then I could do whatever my heart desired. I found that I loved taking care of people and their homes and I am really organized and good at it...what can I say, I love my job.

I have always, at least since college had live in assignments that have usually lasted years. My last job was with a retired couple; I cared for them and their home, actually for more of their physical needs as time went on than I'd ever imagined I'd have to or really would ever want to do again. After her husband died, the lady of the house deteriorated until it was no longer safe for her to be at home; she is now in a wonderful total care facility. Her lovely home will eventually be sold as her children and their families are scattered all over the country and have no intention of returning to Seattle to the childhood home.

My mind has wondered until it is time to meet Mr. Mystery. I am dressed in a business suit, not far from what I would wear to work as I believe in being very professional...minus the jacket and with flat shoes instead of heels for work of course.

In order to give nothing away, we are meeting at the employment agency...and it's show time.

I am greeted by a senior account executive and escorted into a large conference room. Good Lord am I meeting one man or a board room full? Finally, here come some details.

"Mrs. Jones", the account executive begins, "you have been chosen and have met a very stringent and strict set of criteria for a most exclusive job for one of the most private clients we have ever serviced. May I remind you again, you have signed a strict nondisclosure agreement and nothing discussed here this afternoon, really that you have even had this interview, should be discussed with anyone; it is all strictly confidential. This client guards his privacy at all cost Mrs. Jones, do you understand? "

I really am rendered speechless for a brief moment just staring at her until my mouth and my mind work together and I say with all confidence, "Yes, I completely understand, strictly confidential".

She begins again and states. "This client is one of Washington's most well know and wealthiest businessmen; his house is an approximate 4000 square foot penthouse at an exclusive building downtown where you would have your own quarters including a living area, kitchen and bedroom. During the week he would require breakfast and dinner as meals unless traveling or you are otherwise notified as he does attend occasional functions outside the home. He will discuss weekend requirements and the benefit package privately with you. If you decide after meeting tonight that you both wish to proceed, he would like a trial period of one week after which you both have the option to end the agreement with no questions asked should you not be compatible; you would receive one months compensation should either of you decide to end the agreement after the one week trial to be paid immediately upon termination of the agreement. If you both agree to continue, you would then be hired full time and a full time contract would be signed that the client will go over with you.

To be honest Mrs. Jones, we are simply making sure you are the right person and are 'clean' shall we say for the client. The client will be doing all the contracts and hiring directly with you, we will not be involved.

Do you have any questions?"

My head is spinning but there is only one question and as much as I hate to ask it it comes tumbling out..."Who is the guy?"

No sooner do I get the words out of my mouth than the door behind me opens and the entire room seems to change. The account executive immediately stands and turns about 5 shades of red, she appears flustered as I hear someone walking up behind us and I begin to stand as well.

I turn and there before me stands...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** Thank you all so much for the encouraging words...I posted Chapter 1 afraid of what might happen as this was my first try at FanFiction...it seemed to go okay so let's keep going!

All rights belongs to E. L. James.

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 2**

...and there before me stands...well, I'm not sure about anything except the fact that he is probably one of the most handsome young men I have ever seen...but I have no clue who he is. Fumbling all over herself to get out of the chair to get her hand extended as if she just has to touch this godlike creature I am simply trying to maintain my composure and not be embarrassed for her over it all.

I realize he is totally ignoring her; as I am standing he is looking to me and reaching out his manicured hand.

"Ms Jones, Christian Grey, it's nice to meet you" he says as he politely shakes my hand, smiles at me and walks to the head of the massive table.

"Please, sit."

He glares at the account executive and says, "I'll take it from here if you will excuse us please", and with that, she is dismissed.

In complete shock and utter silence, she gathers her belongings and exits the room, leaving me alone with this young man who remains a mystery, barring his name and now face. I look at him and we meet eye to eye and for what seems like a second, or was it minutes, we simply stare at each other.

Mother always told me, and as I became older I realized I have the gift of looking people in the eye and reading them like a book. Mr. Grey knew right away that I was seeing straight into his soul and while he hated it, he could not turn away. My mind was reeling and my heart was shattering...here sat before me appears to be a flawless young man. Gracious how old is he? Dare I ask? Twenty five at the most but I'm sure a bit younger. He is breathtaking in his looks and quite unique...not the usual blonde or brown but a head full of copper waves with piercing grey eyes...yes, those eyes that reveal his soul, if you are one like me who can just see into them. Oh his soul is...hmm, dark, troubled and broken? He is exuding confidence is his custom made suit and shoes, platinum cuff links and monogrammed shirt sitting tall and commanding control even though it is only he and I in the room. But what shatters me is the scared little boy looking back from those eyes. He is not willingly giving it away, and he doesn't realize that but for a breathe I see him, yes, he is there...and in that moment, it is all I can do not to get up and give him a motherly hug and tell him that I am here now, and everything is going to be alright.

He blinks and our moment is over; he smiles and on we go with our interview. I of course, give nothing away and he is trying to shake what has passed between us. I quickly realize that the usual reaction he receives, no matter what the age, is that women fall at his feet. He is taken aback that I am not fazed by his beauty, wealth or social status; well, not in the way he is accustomed.

"Mrs. Jones, I obviously know many details about you from the agency but please, won't you just tell me about yourself", he says with a smile that barely reaches his eyes.

I give him my story, telling him how I came into this role...well, lifestyle for me and why it is that I can live in peoples homes and care for their domestic needs and enjoy it...I am confident in who I am and what I do. He recognizes the age difference between us, I'd say I'm at least 10 if not 15 year older, and with his well bred manners he is very respectful of me, listening intently to every word I say.

Since for the life of me I still do not know anything about him, and if I plan to live in this mans home, I guess I might as well just ask...so here goes my job...

"Mr. Grey, please forgive my being so forward, but will you tell me a little about yourself. I apologize but I have no idea who you are; the agent said you are a well known businessman but I'm sorry, I don't believe I'm familiar with your business sir?"

He puts down the pen he had been holding, and a shy grin sweeps across his face...yes, there is a little boy in there. He then stuns me by his next statement...

"Mrs. Jones, the fact that you have no idea who I am is the best thing you could have said in this entire interview process."

Now I am the one grinning.

He runs his fingers through his unruly hair and takes a deep cleansing breath.

"Look, I've never hired anyone like you before. I have just barely gotten moved in and finished furnishing my apartment. To be honest, we had help in my home growing up and now I have this big apartment. It's too much for me to keep up with and frankly, I love to eat well and I can't boil water. Would you be willing to come over tomorrow, look around my home, see what you think, and cook dinner for me? I think the only way we will know if this is going to work is by you spending some time in my home; not by sitting here talking in this room."

"Of course Mr. Grey, I'd be honored; will it just be you to prepare dinner for sir?"

"Yes, it will just be me tomorrow" he says; "and I'll eat anything; I'd just like a hot meal prepared in my house eaten at my table."

He reaches in his jacket and pulls out his wallet and hands me 5 one hundred dollar bills.

"I'm afraid you'll have to buy everything you need down to the salt and pepper. And please, buy a bottle of wine for dinner as well; if you go over, I'll reimburse you just give me the receipt when you arrive. I do have pots and pans." he grins, almost embarrassed I believe.

He takes his pen and writes the address and 3 more numbers that look like codes on the back of a business card; he writes his cell number as well.

I look up in question and he says, "Oh yes...parking garage entrance code, parking space number, elevator code; I'm in the penthouse, you have to have a code for the elevator".

"Of course" I nod.

He stands and like that we are done.

"Say 1pm tomorrow, I have work to do, call me when you arrive; I'll have the groceries brought up. When you get there I'll tell you a little about myself, show you around and you can have the afternoon to work your magic in the kitchen; I'd like dinner at 6; we can talk afterward or the first of the week, whichever suits you better."

"I'll see you at 1 tomorrow sir" and the shy smile crosses his face again, still just barely reaching his eyes.

He opens the door and stands back for me to exit first and we walk out of the building; never stopping to speak to anyone else about our meeting...and I realize...Christian Grey is still a mystery man to me.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has followed or made this story a favorite and for everyone who has reviewed; I am grateful and honored. I plan to keep this detailed until Gail and Christian get settled in with each other...then Christian has to hire personal security...hmm...! Then all those subs! A lot to do before young Ana arrives; I hope you will hang in there with me. **

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E. L. James.**

**Only Your House Keeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 3**

Google...Christian Grey...who are you young man?

I wake to find myself excited for the day and the prospect of this new job, I think I am anyway? I have only ever worked for couples, never for a young single man. Wait, he is single isn't he? We never did really establish anything about him outside his name, address and phone number. I have to find something about him...someone has to have the 411.

Coffee in hand and laptop fired up...Google brings up images with Mr. Grey at a few charity events with captions but no real stories and no interviews. He is dressed fit to kill in each picture but there is something not right...I can't quite put my finger on it just yet but maybe in time.

Here we go, "Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc. CEO Christian Grey Earns First Million Before 21st Birthday".

Okay, at least I know he can afford me, YEAH RIGHT!

The article is archived and I wait for it to come up and take another long sip of my coffee, maybe this will be a tell all. Here we go...skimming through I do gain a little more knowledge. He should be 22 now, yep, I knew he was not a day over 25 and he has already made his first million. This article is several months old, it's probably a billion by now!

I keep reading. He is the son of Seattle Attorney Carrick Grey and Pediatrician Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey, hmm, lawyer-doctor-I bet they were away from home a lot...he said he grew up with "help". Prominent parents who seem to have raised a bright young man, I can't imagine it would have been either of them who caused that look in his eyes but in this day and time, God only knows. He has an older brother who owns a successful construction company and a younger sister who is still in school. He dropped out of Harvard to start his business; I guess that one didn't go over too well with the parents. He formed his corporation just about 2 years ago and now employees over 5,000 people in Seattle alone. So I am still not sure what he really does. The article talks about different things, communications, sustainability, ship building...but it all seems rather vague...as if trying to report something without saying anything at all. I guess it's him being ultra private again. Several charities he supports from the photos are mentioned. Oh, this is interesting...he was adopted by the Grey's at the age of 4. That could explain some things...I'll store that in my memory for future reference.

Then it hits me...I see what I don't see...what is missing...every single picture, every single event; he is always on the red carpet alone! There is not one single pic of him with an equally gorgeous woman on his arm; what on earth does that mean? Is he gay? Does he have the little woman locked up or chained to a bed somewhere? Are his wife and girlfriend off shopping together? I think I have a right to know if he is married or involved with someone, especially if he will be seeing women in the apartment...I think I'll just have to ask him about this when we sit down to talk; maybe I should start a list of questions.

Back to the task at hand, I wonder what I should prepare for dinner. He said to buy wine...they say the way to a mans heart is through his stomach. Too bad I don't want in his heart, I want to work for him and a good hot Gail Jones meal will win him over quicker than anything. I think I'll go all out...might as well show him what I've got. A fruit and cheese tray will be good this afternoon while he is working or to have with a glass of wine before dinner. For dinner, Chateaubriand with Chateau potatoes and fresh asparagus with Hollandaise, a fresh strawberry salad, homemade bread and 10 layer chocolate cake for dessert. I know there will be meat left over so I'll leave enough salad mix for him to make a steak salad and some french bread in case he wants a sub. That should keep him happy tomorrow.

I better get moving, I need to go to the market, the wine shoppe and I want to get fresh flowers, I think that will add a nice touch.

Once out of the shower, I opt for my professional look of course; my skin is really clear so all I need is powder, a light dusting of blush, a little eye shadow and a hint of mascara to highlight my blue eyes and a touch of lip color. I am wearing a classic black knee length pencil skirt and matching waist jacket with white ¾ length sleeve blouse and black flats. I find the ¾ sleeve blouse is easier to work in than long sleeves and much more professional looking than short sleeves. I have my diamond stud earrings and simple diamond pendent necklace on. I don't anticipate doing any heavy cleaning other that the kitchen so I think this will be a smart look for the afternoon and evening.

Since Mr. Grey has never employed domestic help I am not sure what type of rules he will have for me to follow, if any at all...I guess I will find out. No matter what happens today, I am leaving after this evening and our one week trial will start next week. I feel good about today and even felt like we had a brief moment of connection...we shall see...Get ready Christian Grey, here I come.

I pull into the parking garage and call; it's 1pm sharp.

"Grey" he snaps.

"Mr. Grey, it's Gail Jones; I wanted to let you know I have just arrived in the garage and will be up within 5 minutes. I don't need help with the groceries, I believe I can manage everything sir".

"Very well, I'll be waiting on you" and with that, he is gone. Alright then, I better get packed and on my way.

I exit my car and open the trunk. I have packing groceries down to a science so I am leaned over with my backside in the air when the elevator door opens behind me; I look up knowing he did not come down to help me and sure enough...he didn't. But he sent someone...I just shake my head. One of the doormen approaches dressed in a black suit with gold trimmed Escala embroidered over his shoulders and a name tag reading Mr. Emery.

"Mrs. Jones, please allow me to assist you with your packages ma'am?"

I guess he gets paid to know who I am because I do not and will not be wearing a name tag.

"No, really, I am fine actually" I say continuing to pack the groceries just right into my tote.

He shifts, "Ma'am, Mr. Grey called down and insisted that you needed help with your packages; please let me assist you" he repeats, a little more forcefully this time.

I look up and realize this gentleman is just doing what he has been told to do and I really don't want to start off on the wrong foot with anyone...take a breath Gail...let everyone do their job.

"Mr. Emery, you know, once I get this tote packed, it would be very helpful if you could take it up to Mr. Grey's apartment for me."

"Thank you Mrs. Jones" he says, almost relieved. Goodness, you'd thought he was going to be punished or something if he didn't get to carry the bag!

I get my personal bag out of the car; the first and hopefully only crisis of the day averted. Mr. Emery has walked to the elevator and pressed the call button and the elevator pings its arrival.

We step in to silver trim and smokey mirrors; I have taken one small step into the elevator but one giant leap into what I hope is a new chapter of my life; my life and times with one Mr. Christian Grey.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N THANK YOU again for all the awesome reviews, favorites and follows; I continue to be humbled and overwhelmed.**

**Now a bit of fan fiction etiquette. I have received the gracious permission of another fan fiction author, Nuwriter, to borrow one of her original story details; I will give her specific credit when we get there (don't want to give it away just yet). She also shared a disclaimer with me that I shall use in the hopes that anyone who reads this knows that I have borrowed E. L. James characters as you all have and I am trying to think like Gail way before Ana fell into Christian's office...so it's pretty much my imagination gone wild. However, I have read a lot of awesome fan fictions and should any of your ideas have crept into my subconscious I would ask before using them in this story, otherwise any similarity is a mere coincidence and/or honest mistake. I am writing from Gail's POV, which I don't think anyone else has done, at least not extensively.**

**Disclaimer: This is an interpretation of copyrighted original material, with the understanding that such material is 'not for-profit' thus, constitutes fair use. The original characters of Fifty Shades of Grey are owned by E.L. James. The original content, ideas, characters and intellectual property of t****his story**** are owned by Lovesfiftyshades, as of 2013. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 4**

The doorman takes me in through the main entrance to the penthouse; I feel sure there is more than one door, possibly a service elevator to a back entrance for people carrying groceries and such, another question for my list.

I walk into the Town and Country Magazine spread he calls his home.

Everything is placed perfectly; I'm impressed by his simple elegance. He is not much for color, I notice that right away. The walls are white, couch and chairs white leather; the only color in the pictures on the walls. Even flowers on the table in the foyer are white. There is a modern stainless steel fireplace on the center wall of the living room and a grande piano in black with the lid raised to one side of the dining room. Well dining hall would be more appropriate...in front of a glass wall looking out on Seattle is a dining table with 16 chairs.

And then my sanctuary, the kitchen. A chef's dream with every appliance I could imagine, all white and stainless steel with a dark butcher block work top and a black granite breakfast bar with 6 stools.

I noticed his cars in the garage were black; there were 6 spaces marked C.G. PENTHOUSE with one SUV and one sleek sports car. Yesterday he wore a dark grey suit and tie, with crisp white shirt. Now here he comes from what I assume is his office in black jeans, a white linen shirt, no socks and black Italian loafers...well, at least the wash will be easy.

The monochrome is soothing, everything about him a shade of grey…the irony is not lost on me and I wonder if even he realizes.

In his workday that is filled with mergers and acquisitions of whatever sort they are and stress of untold degree I am sure he needs this cool color and calming environment when he comes home.

Hopes is blooming within me that I will somehow be a source of peace and healing for the brokenness that I saw in those grey eyes that are now once again staring at me, even though at this point I have no clue what that really means.

"Mrs. Jones, welcome to my home."

"Thank you Mr. Grey and what a beautiful home you have sir."

The doorman has placed the groceries on the countertop in the kitchen and given a nod toward Mr. Grey and then quietly excused himself with not a word between them.

That shy smile briefly passes his lips, it's almost as if I have embarrassed him by my compliment on his home.

"I have a few more calls to make so I will be in my office; I trust you can find your way around the kitchen to take care of what you've bought and to get started with dinner."

"Yes sir, I'll be fine."

"Just make yourself at home and I'll check in with you in a while, I'm just in my office if you need anything," he says.

Instead of continuing what feels like awkward small talk for him I smile, nod and walk toward the kitchen. He goes toward his office. We won't feel comfortable around each other right away, this is just our first 5 minutes together...we will be fine.

I busy myself first putting everything away. He was not kidding, the cupboards are bare. The refrigerator has a few take out cartons, I fear the age and contents but at this point there is no smell. He has a wine cooler so I place the bottle I bought among several others already chilling.

The appliance has not been made that is not in this kitchen, I have died and gone to housekeeper heaven. If the rest of this apartment is anything like what I have seen so far taking care of Mr. Grey and his house will be a dream job.

Everything is pretty much ready to go for dinner and the fruit and cheese tray is done. The cake layers are out of the oven and are just about cooled and I'm making the icing. I look up when I hear one of the stools at the breakfast bar being moved.

"Will it bother you if I sit here?"

"Not at all, I'd love the company" I say with a genuine smile as I meet those grey eyes once again...are they ready to give anything away today I wonder? "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'd love a glass of wine."

"Sancerre?" I ask and he nods with a smile.

In making myself at home in the kitchen I found the glassware, well, after I figured out how to open the cabinets...just press the door and it releases. I pour the wine and hand it to Mr. Grey. I reach in the drawer and get out a placemat, silverware and set a plate in front of him as he looks at me without questioning. I walk back to the refrigerator and bring out the fruit and cheese tray placing it on the bar beside him.

"Just an appetizer until dinner."

"Thank you" he says, almost as if he really can't believe I'm here and this is happening.

He eats what I have put before him and I turn to continue working on the cake. I have sliced the layers to make the ten I need and I begin to layer and ice the cake. I like to put the icing on as thick as each of the 10 thin layers so when the cake is sliced it looks like a perfect black and white ribbon.

"Is that chocolate cake?" he asks having watched my every move since he sat down.

"Yes sir." Oh lord, he hates chocolate...he's allergic to chocolate...

"I love chocolate cake...it's my favorite and I can't remember that last time I've had it." He looks up from the cake and for the first time I get a full blown Christian Grey smile.

I look deep into his soul once again. He has said a lot out loud but his eyes, they speak things he can't verbalize, things he may not even realize about himself. He is so lonely. He is starving, not physically, but emotionally, for a connection of some sort. I feel an overwhelming need to protect him, I will not let anyone hurt him.

Once again, I'm not sure how long I have looked into his eyes and once again, I know he realizes I can see into his soul but he makes no comment and I keep what I learn to myself.

He finishes his wine and plate of fruit and cheese.

I have finished icing the cake and he eyes the full 10 inch tall chocolate masterpiece on the crystal pedestal stand. In a moment of shear clarity I seal our fate. I reach for a dessert plate and a knife. I lift the cover off the cake and place it on the countertop. I lift the knife and look up to see if he knows what I am about to do.

I slice through all 10 layers and remove what I know beyond any doubt will be a mouthwatering piece of chocolate cake.

I replace the plate he emptied of fruit and cheese with the dessert plate filled with chocolate cake and I look right into those big grey eyes.

"You know Mr. Grey, I have my dessert first. I just don't see the point in waiting."

"Good point well make Mrs. Jones."

He takes a big bite and closes his eyes and begins to smile while he chews. I almost think he is going to moan out loud.

"This is without a doubt the most delectable dessert I have ever tasted. If dinner is anything like this I am going to be a very happy man."

I am not quite sure if he is expecting a response so I just smile in case he looks up because I have all confidence that dinner will be just as delicious. I go on tidying up and making sure everything is ready for dinner.

He takes his time finishing the cake. I can see him without just standing to stare so I watch trying not to get caught.

I know in this moment as he wipes his mouth and places his folded napkin on the bar sliding the stool back to stand, there is nothing I would not do for this man...there is nothing that will keep me from working for him.

"Mrs. Jones, do we have time before you begin to prepare dinner for me to show you the apartment, you've only seen the kitchen, I'd like to at least show you all the living areas?"

"Absolutely, lead the way, sir" I say as I wipe my hands and walk around the breakfast bar excited to get to see the rest of this gorgeous apartment and the place I'll call home.

Looking up to face him I immediately see he is unsettled about something. Gone is the ease we have shared the last few moments and for the first time since we have met there is tension between us.

Three things happen all at once; he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair.

Something has made this confident millionaire very nervous...what in the world is going on?

A/N:

The line: "I have my dessert first, I just don't see the point in waiting." is from the movie _**Remember Me**_ starring Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin. AWESOME MOVIE!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I continue to be overwhelmed by the reviews/favorites and follows. The encouraging words are truly motivation to write more...to continue. Details for a few more chapters...A Sub...Then a security guard!**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Chapter 5...Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Red Room Part 1...Well Maybe?**

Something has made this confident millionaire very nervous...what in the world is going on?

I can clearly see there is an internal battle being fought in his mind, he is literally shaking his head as he removes his fingers from his hair, a habit I've noticed. Stress equals fingers through the copper locks. He is radiating uncertainty but about what? Surely not my employment. He was salivating over chocolate cake less than 5 minutes ago and now he almost looks like he wants to throw up...well, not really physically sick I don't guess.

He suddenly stands up straight and squares his shoulders as if he has made some executive decision. His face grows cold and his eyes are dark. Controlled and in CEO mode he begins.

"You've seen the kitchen and obviously that is the dining room", he points toward the massive table then turns to walk away from the kitchen area and across the great room; I walk behind him. He is just stating the cold, hard, facts, with no emotion at all. Okay, I can go with that, it's a tour of the facilities.

We pass the foyer; there are double doors that are closed, they are too large to lead to a closet, it must be another hallway or wing of the house that we will tour later.

He stops behind the massive U shaped sofa that could easily seat 8 to 10 people.

"I am not going to insult your intelligence by opening every door to every room and closet for you. I hope that next week you will find your way around and become familiar with the layout and where everything is. This corridor leads to my bedroom, the master suite." He points down a short hallway to closed double doors as he leans back on the couch. He nods his head to his left and says, "Down this way is a wine cellar, utility room and another large office. The apartment is equipped with close circuitry and the monitors and hardware are in that office. My head of security at work has been after me to hire personal security 24/7 and to be honest, I've been putting it off as long as possible. That will be the security office when I do hire someone."

He stands and walks back across the great room toward what I assume is his study. I follow. He opens the door but does not walk in; I can see this is his home command post.

"My study" he says.

Cool, crisp and everything in it's place. His laptop sits alone and closed on a massive desk facing the door, two monitors sit on a side desk; a large black leather chair is pushed into it's place waiting for the master to return. Two white leather chairs sit facing his desk; there are book shelves and of course the obligatory floor to ceiling glass wall where yet another angle of the Seattle skyline is in view.

He points to a room across the hall and says, "TV and game room. For the rare occasion my older brother may visit."

He turns to head down another corridor and opens double doors wide; he steps back and says, "This is where you will live."

He allows me to walk through and I find I'm in a small scale replica of the home I have just left. Great room with fireplace, kitchen with breakfast bar and hallway to the bedrooMrs. He has spared no expense in the furnishings just as in his own home, however, there has been no décor added what so ever.

I walk to the kitchen, as far away from him as possible. I know this is new for him, having someone in his home, sharing himself like this; I am sure he feels as if I have invaded his personal space. He remains cold, quiet and still seems nervous.

"This will be your home; you may decorate as you wish. The bedrooms are down the hallway behind you" he says, looking over my shoulder. "This will be the quarters for all future live in staff. You'll find your individual bedroom has a sitting area and en suite private bath but the common area will be shared. As I said, I'm not looking forward to having security 24/7 but I know it's something I have to consider in the near future. If and when I do hire security, they will live here as well."

I look around, taking it all in, not wanting to anger him but feeling none the less that I have to try to put his mind at ease about our relationship and living arrangements.

"You have a beautiful home Mr. Grey; these living quarters are more than adequate sir. Honestly, I can't see any reason why this is not going to work out."

He turns to walk out the door.

"Let's hope you still feel that way in a few minutes" he mumbles under his breath as he turns to walk away, but I have clearly heard every word he said. He hangs his head, no longer looking all CEO but almost having a look of loss and defeat and the nervous energy is back ten fold.

"Mr. Grey, could I have a moment in your study before I prepare dinner; I do have some concerns I'd like to discuss."

He jerks his head up and looks at me like I have just spoken out of turn and he might reprimand me; maybe I have but this tension between us needs to be addressed. He thinks better of what he was about to say and walks into his study and I follow.

He sits down behind his desk and I stand beside the leather chairs in front of him.

He looks up at me and says "You may sit Mrs. Jones."

"Thank you sir." I was just going to stand but I guess not.

"So what are these, concerns, you have? You've barely been here 4 hours, most people spend at least 8 hours with me before they resign and run for the hills" he says sarcastically with a cold hard smirk on his face.

I glare right into those grey eyes of his. Oh how he speaks from these windows to his soul. First I can see how uncomfortable this is for him...sharing his intimate private space with a stranger. But what breaks my heart is that I can see he thinks I am getting ready to abandon him, to run away for some reason...to leave him. I can tell he already feels the connection we have made and now he thinks he is about to lose it. Oh, if I could just speak freely with him and tell him that he has captured my heart and that he won't be able to get rid of me easily. I hope somehow I can find the words to say.

"Mr. Grey, you told me you had never hired domestic help before; well, I have been hired before and I have done this type of work so I just want to speak freely for a moment if I may."

"Of course," he waves his hand in the air, "by all means." The sarcasm still evident in his voice.

I don't think he has a clue what I want to say.

"I thought we were getting along well sir right up until we began the tour of your home and then I felt there was tension between us, or that you seemed nervous about something." No longer leaned back he raises up to speak, "Please let me finish Mr. Grey, just hear me out." He sits back in his chair and I continue.

"This is different because we are in your home but our relationship will be just like at your office. It will be nothing but professional. You are my employer. I will respect you and I will protect you and your privacy first and foremost, because that's who I am, and secondly, because I have signed a legal document stating I'll do it. This is your home, Mr. Grey, the one place where you can be yourself and not have to worry about what other people say or think. I am here to ensure that when you walk through those doors each day that you are comfortable and cared for and that you can be yourself and not have to worry about anything. I am not here to judge you. You have to trust me, but I know I have to earn your trust. I wouldn't be here if I were not willing to accept people as they are and accept that we are all different. I may not always agree with you or what you do but this is my job; taking care of you and your home is what I want to do. We won't be comfortable with each other right away but should this work out, and I really hope it does, we have to trust each other and we will be comfortable and at ease with each other as time goes on."

I believe he is in shock. He sits there with his hands folded in his lap. He looks at me and then looks down at his hands, thinking I am sure about what I have said.

I know he is not used to people, well especially not women, speaking to him like I just have. I know he respects me, I know we have a connection and I know that he is hiding something that he thinks is going to make me run. I've seen a lot over the years. No truer cliché has ever been uttered than "no one knows what goes on behind closed doors". I can't imagine anything that will drive me away from him and the sense of protection I feel toward him. He is very private, very quiet, a loner, and can turn on the cold CEO in a heartbeat as I have just witnessed. But there is a broken scared little boy in there too; and for some reason, the good Lord above has led me here for such a time as this. I know my path is directed by a higher power than myself so I'll just follow until the door is closed and I'm sent a different direction.

"If you wish to have dinner at 6, please excuse me sir and I'll be ready to serve it right on time."

"Very well." he says, with no change to the blank expression on his face.

Excusing myself I go the kitchen to prepare dinner. Times passes by quickly and I have everything ready.

I didn't notice Mr. Grey moving about but at 6pm sharp I look up and he is walking into the dining room just as I have the table set; flowers in the center with candles glowing on either side and reflecting in the glass wall.

Dressed for dinner in a black jacket, white shirt with no tie and black slacks, it's easy to see why women would fall at his feet. Thankfully, I don't feel that kind of attraction to him at all..

I offer a genuine smile trying to take us back to where we were earlier at the breakfast bar.

"Your dinner is ready to be served Mr. Grey."

Thanking me with a smile that reaches his eyes in anticipation of the meal he takes his seat at the head of the dining table.

"The smells are delicious; I can't wait to taste everything," he offers the smile not leaving his face.

For the next hour I serve what could be my first and last meal at the Grey Penthouse.

"Another slice of chocolate cake sir?" I ask as I clear his dinner plate and offer to refill his wine glass.

He wipes his mouth and holds his hand up to his glass indicating me not to pour.

"Do you mind if I have my cake at the breakfast bar?" he asks, and there is that little boy smile, trying to be a big time CEO but starving for attention and a connection.

"I don't mind at all!" I say happily as he rises to come back to my territory again.

His gesture to sit at the breakfast bar speaks volumes; he wants us to be on common ground. In no way equals, but there is no way we could sit and talk at the dining room table. In the kitchen at the breakfast bar, we are on a more level playing field, as I said, he is in my kitchen, on my turf.

"Do we have any milk?"

"Yes sir, we do"

"May I have a glass with my chocolate cake" he asks with a shy grin.

"Absolutely sir, one glass of milk and your favorite chocolate cake coming right up!"

I cut the cake and pour the milk sitting the plate and glass in front of him and watch as he enjoys both like it is the best thing he has ever had.

"Well, I have to say, that is the best meal I have had since...I, well, I can't remember that last time I had a meal this good. And in my home, at my table," he smiles.

"Thank you Mr. Grey, I am really glad you enjoyed everything."

Clearly he has more he wants to say.

"Mrs. Jones, I appreciate everything you said earlier." He hesitates, and I stand patiently...waiting...giving him all the time in the world to say what is on his mind. "You're right, this is hard for me but believe me, it's not you. I am a very private man and it's been a really long time since I've had to answer to or explain myself to anyone. However, with all due respect, I feel I owe you a few explanations of how things will be if you take this job."

He runs his fingers through his hair. Oh, this is not good and must really be difficult for him.

He continues.

"There are several aspects of my life that will not intersect. FIrst of all, no one, and I mean absolutely no one is to enter this apartment without my prior authorization. If I am not at home, no one should be here except you. If you come to work for me we can discuss you having visitors."

I raise my hand, good lord am I in school?

"Yes?" he snaps.

"Won't be a problem sir, I won't be having visitors, just wanted you to know, one less thing to worry about."

"Fine."

He takes a deep breath and continues.

"My family does not normally drop in unannounced because they know I work long hours and never know when I'll be at home; they don't have the access code to the garage or the elevator and they won't. They will call ahead or go through the lobby and doorman. My business associates would never visit uninvited. Any business is normally conducted in the office or over dinner in a restaurant, I really don't care to bring that into my home."

He looks into my eyes, I think to make sure I am following and to steel me for what comes next.

"I do have a weekend guest who arrives at 8pm on Friday evening and will stay through Sunday at 1pm. She has a bedroom with her belongings on the second floor. There is another room on the second floor that she and I use when she is here. You should rarely if at all have any interaction with her personally however I would like her room freshened up on Friday before she arrives and the second floor will need to be cleaned on Monday. She will not have interaction with my family or business associates and my family and business associates have no knowledge of her. What I do in my home is my business, after all, to be judged by no one as you stated so well earlier."

It's Saturday night and I wonder where this weekend guest is now? He has obviously just told me about some type of arrangement he has with the guest, he did say 'she' so I assume he is not gay. No wonder we didn't enter into those double doors in the foyer, I assume they lead upstairs to the second floor and his weekend hide out. I won't dare ask where she is, I think it best if I just let him talk and give whatever information he decides for the time being.

"I've enjoyed my dinner and having you here today Mrs. Jones. I would like for you to come back tomorrow evening or Monday morning and begin the weeklong trial time."

"I would like that too, very much Mr. Grey. Tomorrow evening, around 6 or 7 sir? I can make a light dinner and have breakfast on Monday and then get full groceries for the week on during the day if that would be okay?"

"Sounds perfect to me."

I have enough meat leftover as I expected for a steak salad or subs on French bread.

"I'm having lunch with my parents at Bellevue but should be back home by 3 or 4, any time after that is fine. I will leave a contract for you to review at your leisure during the week and of course, during the day please make yourself at home and explore the apartment."

"Yes sir. I'll just finish cleaning and be on my way."

He gets up and heads back to his study, I can see the light as he has left the door open. I quickly finish; there is little to do because I clean as I go most of the time. I gather my things ready to leave for evening. I go to the door of his study.

"I'm leaving now Mr. Grey, I'll see you tomorrow evening."

Ever the gentleman, he rises to walk me to the foyer. We don't talk, he presses the button for the elevator and it almost instantly pings its arrival.

"Goodnight" I say.

"Goodnight Ms Jones," he says as the door closes.

Well that went well I think to myself as I stare into the smokey mirrors. I have barely known this man 24 hours and I am surprised how much he means to me already. As I wait for the gate to open so I can exit the garage, I have all confidence this will be the last time I leave this garage unemployed. Who knows, I may not be leaving again at all.

**A/N: Chapter 6 and Gail ventures upstairs...on the way!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you again for all the words of encouragement and positive comments...truly motivation to keep going. I read and reread every review...they are addicting for a new writer. Thank you all again so much.**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 6**

Sitting here at the breakfast bar on Monday morning I look around and wonder what it would be like to live and work here every day. So far, everything has gone very well; we have made it through one more dinner and now one breakfast and he is off to work.

We sat here last night after Mr. Grey had steak subs and fresh fruit and went over his usual routine, this weeks schedule and we discussed sample menus. I have a list of things to do and stocking the pantry is my top priority for today.

His would like the routine to be up at 5:45am, out for a run at 6am, back by 7am, breakfast at 7:30am and out the door for work by 8am at the latest. He will let me know daily what time to have dinner. He said normally he works out with his personal trainer each weekday for 1-2 hours in the evening and is usually in by 9pm. He said he anticipated dinner around 7pm...I assume he has called for take out or gone out for dinner previously because I don't believe anyone has been using the kitchen.

I asked him for a specific menu and he would only say he wanted a hearty healthy breakfast and that he was not a picky eater, anything for dinner would be fine. Then he told me that he would not tolerate the wasting of food and to ensure that I only prepared what he and I would eat, that he did not want to see food being discarded.

I have several things to get done today:

grocery shopping/fill the pantry

explore/view entire penthouse

review the employment contract

set up my weekly routine

He left me keys for the apartment, a room upstairs that he said remains locked and for a car in the garage that he wants me to use. He asked me to drive a Silver Audi A6 that will be parked in one of his spaces in the underground garage when I go grocery shopping. Gladly I thought and wondered if he had seen my Cora...she has been a faithful car but does not really fit in with the other cars housed in the garage.

I have a lot to do in the kitchen and we won't be eating if I don't get to the market so everything else on my to do list is going to have to wait.

The Audi is a dream to drive and when I return from shopping I gladly call the doorman to help with the packages; it is like setting up a new household with all I have bought, ever keeping in mind that I don't want to waste anything.

I did discover this morning that there is a back corridor that has a back entrance to a hallway where there is a service elevator. The back corridor actually connects the staff quarters to the hallway past Mr. Grey's room where security and the utility rooms are located. There are large double doors that close off this hallway beyond the great room and master suite hallway so you would not see the utility room and security offices It will be easy to move about if need be from the staff quarters down the back corridor without disturbing Mr. Grey.

This time we bring the packages up the service elevator.

I spend the better part of the afternoon setting up and organizing the kitchen and panty to suit me since I will be the one using it, at least this week.

For dinner I prepare Chicken Piccata and Wild Rice Risotto. After 2 servings and a clean plate Mr. Grey goes to his study. He has left the door open, I can see the light from the door.

The kitchen is clean and I am ready to retire to my quarters but want to make sure he doesn't need anything else for the night.

I knock on the door and wait until he asks me to enter before I walk in.

"Will you be needing anything else this evening sir?"

He looks up for his computer asking if I have any questions after the first day. Not sure if he means about the employment contract or the apartment and how I found things I tell him that my day consisted of grocery shopping and setting up the kitchen and tomorrow after doing chores in the morning I plan to read the contract and tour the apartment before preparing dinner.

Acting disinterested, he looks at his computer again and says, "No, I don't need anything else tonight."

I tell him goodnight and retreat to my own room.

Day one with Christian Grey is in the books.

On Tuesday, I am in the kitchen when Mr. Grey walk out at 6am.

"You sure are up early," he says with a smile as he walks toward the refrigerator.

"I wanted to make muffins for breakfast and they need to bake almost an hour. Can I get you anything before your run?"

"No, I''ll just have some juice before I go," and he already has the carton in his hand is is reaching for a glass.

I continue my preparations and he downs the juice placing the glass in the sink. He heads toward the elevator without any further conversation, but then none was needed.

I look up an hour later and barely recognize the red faced, dripping wet, sweaty man who walks back through the doors. My first thoughts are I need to do laundry today, we don't want those clothes laying around too long. He disappears into his bedroom and I finish breakfast.

What a difference thirty minutes can make; he is...clean shaven, hair still damp from his shower, dressed in jet black except his crisp white shirt and smelling of clean linen and jasmine I believe. I can see why the women fall at his feet; he is nice looking. I'm thankful I don't feel that type of attraction to him, lest I would not be able to work here.

Reaching across the breakfast bar he grabs a muffin off the cooling rack and pops a huge chunk in his mouth grinning from ear to ear like he has just gotten away with something.

"What is in these muffins?" he asks as he rolls it around in his mouth; really he should not be talking.

Swallowing and reaching for the juice I have sat before him he continues.

"I taste about 10 different things all at once."

"I call then 'Kitchen Sink' muffins, they have everything in them but the kitchen sink,." I say with a smile.

I place his omelet, bacon, whole grain toast and hot cup of coffee on the bar as he devours the muffin.

"I've been to the finest French bakeries where world renowned pastry chefs bake every day and I have never had anything that tastes this good." He continues to smile and enjoys every bite.

"Well maybe I should go to France and market my muffins."

He looks up and gets serious but the grin still on his face. "Oh no, if anyone markets these muffins it's Grey Enterprises Holdings right here is Seattle, you are not taking these muffins anywhere."

"I'm only kidding Mr. Grey; I'm not giving my secret recipe to anyone!" I laugh.

"Good" he says, "but if you change your mind...GEH...I have first rights...remember that." He leans over and grabs another muffin that I have now placed on a serving tray and takes a bite.

I just shake my head and Mr. Grey continues his breakfast.

I know I don't need to "wait on him hand and foot" but I want to be available if he needs anything so I tidy up what I can without disturbing him while he eats. He finishes and heads off to his study. I finish cleaning the kitchen.

"Mrs. Jones." I hear him call as he walks toward the foyer.

I leave the kitchen and walk toward him.

"I'll have dinner at 7 tonight," he says as I arrive to where he is standing, jacket on and briefcase in hand.

"Yes sir, how does pork tenderloin sound for dinner tonight?"

He stops and looks back at me. I can see the brokenness in his eyes and he looks for a brief moment as if he is in pain.

"Mrs. Jones, you go to the trouble to cook for me, we are blessed and fortunate enough to have food to fill out bellies; when you place the food you prepare before me, trust me, it does not matter what it is, I will gladly and thankfully eat it. Dinner. 7pm."

With that he is gone.

And he has left me with a piece of his mind; not in a sarcastic disrespectful way, more in a 'can't you see I have issues with food' way.

Suddenly it hits me like I have been kicked in the gut; the feeling so real I grab myself and bend over double. He has gone without food...he has been hungry. All the hints about food...'I'm not picky', 'I'll eat anything', 'I'd like a hot meal cooked at my house eaten at my table', 'I will not tolerate the wasting of food'. He has eaten every bite I have put in front of him and physically enjoyed it and told me how good it was.

Then I get the second jolt, that piece of information I had stored for later reference; he was adopted when he was four. Surely the attorney or doctor would not have left him go without food or anything else after he came to live with them but God only knows what this poor man suffered the first four years of his life. And what he obviously remembers about it; certainly a four year old could have vivid memories, especially painful ones. I remember from the pictures I found of him on the internet, one of the charities he supported was _Feed My Starving Children_. Another piece of the Christian Grey puzzle.

There is a lot of research and debate on nature vs. nurture. It appears he got a bad dose of nature the first four years of his life that all the years of nurture afterward may not have been able to help him overcome.

I have assumed a lot, but it's easy to see when you know things about yourself. Maybe we are kindred spirits, and I am here to help him in some way. I don't see Mr. Grey ever sitting down to tell me his life story...and I am certain I won't be sitting down to give him mine.

**A/N: Feed My Starving Children is a real charity; check out their website at: .org**

**Gail goes upstairs and it will be worth the wait...I promise! We just needed to take the opportunity while it was there to get the food issue taken care of.**

**Next chapter coming right up!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Because you are the best followers here you go! The every 2-3 day updates are going to slow a bit but I promise twice a week. I had to change the rating to M, I hope that I did not mislead anyone in the beginning; I was not really clear on the rating system but decided to be safe rather than sorry.**

**I continue to be in awe of your support and thank each of you who follow, favorite and review this story and are taking this journey with me...You have no idea how much you all mean to me...Thanks again and PLEASE continue to review and stay in touch!**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 7**

I have gone into Mr. Grey's study and cleaned and there were no surprises there; that should be a twice a week room; dusting everything and keeping it fresh.

I made his bed yesterday morning but didn't really look around, today, I explore.

I plan to change his bed linens weekly unless his "friend" should happen to show up during the week. I go into his bathroom and I'm impressed, he's very tidy with his toiletries. I'll clean in here daily, I just don't want a mans bathroom to get out of hand, it doesn't appear that it'll be a problem. He has a massive tub and a shower that looks like a small room; I'm going to have to check out the utility room to see what type cleaning utensils we have since I don't really want to get in the tub to clean it.

Opening the other set of double doors I find he's not as tidy as I thought. His running clothes are on the floor; his suit and dress shirt are on a chair; he does have a hamper where he has tossed a t-shirt, sleep pants and boxer briefs. This closet goes on forever and while he is not tidy with his dirty clothes his hanging clothes are sorted in perfect order. I would say by color but the suits are black and shades of grey, wait, way at the end I see navy and as I walk farther into the closet I see he has khaki and then a row of 3 tuxedos and 2 tuxedo jackets. His dress shirts are all white; his casual shirts are all white linen. He does have winter weight and summer weight shirts and he has a tower of cubbies with sweaters in black, grey and beige. He has black jeans and a few casual jackets. The drawers are orderly so that will be easy to keep up.

I walk back into his bedroom and look around; it's huge with white walls, a king bed made of old grey wood and 4 large posts. Above the bed is an amazing portrait of the sea, I can almost hear the waves. The décor is light blue with a nautical feel; I wonder if Mr. Grey likes the ocean.

I check out the utility room and begin a load of laundry and find I have everything I'll need to clean anything in the house.

I decide to have a cup of coffee and a muffin and read the employment contract before venturing upstairs.

I pull it out of a large envelope and it is actually in a binder.

The cover sheet is official and is personalized with mine and Mr. Grey's name; it is not a generic contact; this is the real deal.

Within about 15 minutes my head is spinning. I am barely able to comprehend, not intellectually, but practically what Mr. Grey is offering.

First is the standard legal mumbo jumbo...employ at free will; leave at free will, request 30 day notice from either party to terminate unless there is a breech of trust which results in immediate termination and the examples are spelled out including legal actions. He is serious about his privacy as well he should be.

Salary: It is ridiculous what he wants to pay me, I'm not even sure I'm worth all this.

Then it gets interesting and goes beyond what should be common sense.

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer and Domestic Engineer 300 Escala, Seattle Washington.

Job Responsibilities: In charge of all household functions at Grey Penthouse Escala including but not limited to:

Cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, purchasing of any/all needed household goods and supplies; purchasing of any/all personal supplies/toiletry items as requested for residents and staff; Coordinate maintenance and immediate repair needs and routine upkeep

Maintains master calendar

Coordinates and manages any additional domestic employees

Coordinates and manages any temporary domestic employees for events to include but not limited to dinner parties, holiday events etc

Available to travel and provide above service to other Grey Properties as needed

Manages any and all household expenses above on American Express Credit Card

Transportation-To ensure proper safety a car will be provided, titled and insured in your name; all costs and maintenance fees to be paid; car to be replaced annually and at any time it is not deemed to be safe.

Allowances  
Professional and/or Personal Clothing: Neiman Marcus and Nordstrums Account name of Gail Jones; all expenses paid

Personal Spa Services: Esclava Salon- any/all salon services for hair, nails, body as needed or deemed necessary under account name of Gail Jones; all expenses paid

Insurance:

All medical, dental, vision, prescription premiums and any co-pays/deductibles paid

Every other kind of insurance I can imagine is listed and it is all paid...Retirement/savings...I can not even begin to imagine having these kind of benefits...he is paying for everything. I will not have any bills or expenses according to this contract. I would be able to save everything I earn, plus he is depositing money is savings for me.

I can't read any more of this, it basically says, come work for me...run my household...I'll pay for everything...you'll pay for nothing.

Can I handle that? It almost feels like I am losing control. It seems as if the more things he pays for the more control he has. He has not seemed "controlling" so far; I can cook what I want, decorate how I want, I set up the kitchen how I wanted. Maybe he is just being generous, he is a wealthy man and beside his home, his cars and the charities I am not sure where else he is spending his money.

Oh well, something he and I will need to discuss.

I grab the keys and decide it's time to head upstairs to see what I can find out, if anything, about his weekend house guest

I go to the foyer and open the double doors to the right of the entrance and they lead to a stairway. At the top of the stairs I turn right again and find a hallway. The first door on the right is closed and locked. I think I'll come back here later.

Walking on down the hallway I pass several more doors that are open. These lead to empty bedrooms yet to be furnished, all have private bathrooms and huge walk in closets. This is not a home, it is a hotel.

The last door on the right is closed but not locked. I slowly open the door and find a furnished bedroom. Everything is white except the bedding that appears to be a new comforter; it is shades of purple, teal and grey. I go in and find there are clothes in the closet and what appears to be personal items in the bathroom.

The clothes do not look to have been worn, some still have the tags on them. Most of them are dressy casual; there are several night gowns and teddies hanging up as well.

I decide to go for broke and open the drawers, I assume Miss Weekend won't mind; I don't plan to touch, only to look.

When I open the chest of drawers I find the sexiest lingerie I have ever seen. Multiple sets of bras and panties, most of the panties are thongs; some have bustiers, some have garters belts. There are some with matching stockings. Solid colors of black, red, white and light blue, some with lace, some satin; they all look rather racy so I believe I might be coming to understand the nature of the weekend guest and Mr. Grey's relationship. The locked room must be "their" bedroom. That should be a treat to clean on Monday's.

Looking through the bathroom, I find nothing unusual; expensive body and hair products, toothbrush-toothpaste etc.

I then see that she has her entire stock of make up here as well; I'm talking the good stuff, not drug store brands.

She must like to leave everything here on the weekends. I'd like to at least know her name so if I see her I can speak and she will know who I am...if this all works out for me that is.

I wonder if she cooks; I might go crazy if she messes up my kitchen every weekend...something else I will have to ask Mr. Grey about.

Satisfied that I have seen enough I close the door and head back down the hallway to the last door and take out the key. I think again and realize I need to put the laundry in the dryer and I'll grab a quick bite for lunch before I come back up to the mystery room.

Clothes dried and put away and I finished lunch; pork tenderloin seasoned and ready to go so I head back up stairs.

I think back to how nervous Mr. Grey became when we started the tour earlier. It seems that whatever is behind this locked door had something to do with his angst. I guess I'll never know until I open the door and check it out.

Turning the key and opening the door tilts my world on its axis. The myriad of emotions I am feeling overwhelms me as I stand in the doorway and gasp for my breath. Questions fire in my mind so fast I can't quite make sense of them. My first gut reaction is I have walked in to some kind of torture chamber and I can't believe he wanted me to discover this on my own without some kind of warning. Surely he has more respect for me than this...but the question remains...why did he give me the key and almost shove me up here to find and sort this out on my own?

Gathering my wits about me and trying to slow my breathing I step inside but leave the door open wide.

The room is lit from the window but with the light on there is a glow that is cast over the dark red walls and ceiling. The floor is old dark wood and the room smells of leather and fresh citrus; it must have been recently cleaned...maybe after the last torture session by Miss Weekend herself.

Stop it Gail...just stop...I talk myself down off this ledge I am climbing...

I know the room has to do with sex but I can't imagine it has anything to do with love...I can feel my negative emotions taking over and I really want to keep an open mind; you know, innocent until proven guilty and all that...let me just inventory exactly what is in here...

Facing me from across the room is a large heavy wood cross in the shape of an X with cuffs on each corner...inventory Gail, I think to myself, don't try to picture it in use. There is a grid hanging from the ceiling with all manner of ways to be suspended with chains, ropes and cuffs.

There is a large padded waist high bench, a large flat table and a huge bed in the middle with several cuffs on each corner.

On the walls hang every device you can imagine to use for spanking, beating and whipping. There are belts that are long and short, canes that are think and thin, riding crops, a cat of nine tails and all sizes of paddles and all lengths and thicknesses of whips.

At the foot of the massive bed is a beautiful Chesterfield sofa. Just inside the door is a chest of drawers; I'm afraid to know what it might hold. I may have gone through Miss Weekend's drawers in her bedroom, no pun intended, but this chest of drawers will remain tightly sealed.

I walk around the room, my mind has really just emptied of all rationale thought...who does this, and why? It has been a while but I think back to the passion and love I have had in my life. I try to keep it tucked away in the special place in my heart, the pain has eased and I do go days now without thinking about it but this will cause me to have to open my tightly sealed treasure box and remember.

I find myself sitting on the firm leather sofa, the most out of place thing in this room just to think for a moment as the memories float back into my mind. Our marriage was brief and ended tragically, that part will have to stay buried in the treasure box for now, but I can remember back with longing to the love we shared. The purest of love is when it's your first. Friends in high school, our first date, then realizing we could not live without each other in college. Waiting until just the right time and knowing we were both so innocent, never having shared much of ourselves with anyone else, let alone the one thing you can never have back. We discovered how to love each other without being tainted by memories of anyone else having been there before. And oh did we love each other, to the depths of our souls and back. Our emotional love was beyond anything I could have asked for or imagined. Our physical love was passionate and tame and slow and then wild and fast and fun and varied but never was it me hanging from a ceiling grid being beaten with a cane or cat of nine tails, or over a whipping bench with my backside being marked red with the slashes from a belt.

I am lost in my thoughts trying to wrap my mind around it all...I just can't imagine submitting to this type of treatment...there is no way inflicting pain of this sort could lead to pleasure, at least not for me.

I promised Mr. Grey I was not here to judge him and I know he is a broken and scarred man from what little I have gathered in our few days together. I am going to have to decide if, even though I won't have any part of this room or what goes on in it, I can overlook all this, now that I know. I am going to have to come up here every week and clean this room...I will really have to detach myself from what goes on in here and I need to decide if I can do that.

Numb with no thoughts at all, and not sure how long I have sat here; I can't make any decisions without talking to Mr. Grey which I know he is anticipating.

I am about to head downstairs to prepare dinner when the silence in my mind is broken.

"Mrs. Jones."

Off the couch and on my feet I see Mr. Grey is standing in the doorway, arms up on each side of the frame to hold himself up I think; hair tousled, coat and tie off and top buttons of his shirt open; either he is home really early or I have lost all track of time.

The look on his face paralyzes me. I want to leave the room but my feet won't move, his gaze holding me in place. As much as I don't want to do this, it appears it's now or never. He is standing tall and glaring, a little angry that he has found me here.

I respect him but I will not be intimidated by him so I just stare back. I want him to know that he does not scare me, I think he realizes it already but this is shaky ground we are on right now and if we are going to have this conversation, I need to keep my emotions in check and I need to be careful what I say and how I say it.

Beyond the anger is the scared little boy, fear of being abandoned radiates off him. I see hatred in his eyes as well; he is angry that I am found sitting here in this room but the hatred is focused inward. He loathes the fact that I must know this about him and I believe he may hate himself for this particular way he has with women.

We stand there staring, neither of us wanting to be the first to speak.

"Say something," he says quietly, resolved to the belief that I will leave him now that I have this knowledge.

"Do you do this to her or does she do it to you or both?" If we are going to have to talk about this let's just get is all out in the open.

He stands never leaving the doorway but his hands are now by his side.

"I do this to her but only what she has agreed to. Everything is previously agreed upon and contractually consented to between the both of us. She is here of her own free will and can leave at any time. Either of us can break the contract at any time." He is very matter of fact, just like a business agreement. Then silence hangs in the room once more as I try to process what he has said.

"Why?" I am not sure if the question that is screaming to be asked in my mind has really come across my lips or not...but I do think I heard myself speak.

The question hangs there between us and I really don't believe he will answer, I am really not sure I want to hear the answer.

I know it's time to end this and get out of this room.

He looks at me and sadly and quietly states, "It's who I am."

No longer is he able to hide the pain and brokenness that he keeps tucked away behind his business suits for no one else to see. It stays buried under the well built emotional walls and is fairly easy to cover up when he puts that million dollar smile on his face.

It's naked and raw and on display in this brief moment.

He is so strong yet so fragile in many ways.

I have a decision to make and it has to be made now. What's is gonna be...the cooking and the cleaning are going to be easy...Christian Grey on the other hand is a lot to take on, a force to be reckoned with.

I walk to the doorway and step out just past Mr. Grey, I know what I have to do and it's risky but I'm not one to shy away from a challenge. We are standing almost face to face, I am just beyond him. I look up into his grey eyes and reaching over I take his right hand in mine and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Dinner at 7 sir, I''ll see you downstairs."

He looks at me and relief floods over him replacing the anguish and fear that I was about to walk out; he releases the breath I believe he was holding.

I don't linger but head downstairs and start dinner hoping that was our first and last discussion of his Red Room of Pain.

**A/N: I hope it was worth the wait...let me know what you think! We got a glimpse in to Gail's marriage...she has a lot more to tell us as time goes on.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I wish there was a new way to say thank you but since I can't think of one, I guess I'll keep adding chapters as quickly as possible as my THANKS to you all! The awesome reviews encourage me to keep going! I promise I read and re-read each one, they are like precious jewels to me. To address just a few...Gail was with Christian 4 years before Ana so have a little patience as we try to get them through a few major events before Ana's arrival...and arrive she will, I PROMISE! Gail went through a few subs before Taylor's arrival so hang in there with me...he will be here soon...I cherish the fact you are on this journey with me and my imagination! **

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 8**

Dinner last evening was quiet but not uncomfortable like I thought it might be. Having made the decision, at least in my heart, if he will hire me I plan to accept this job. I will not judge Mr. Grey on his sexual preferences, as long as what goes on in this house is safe and consensual. If I thought he was holding or hurting someone against their will then I'd be out of here no matter now much it broke my heart or his.

It's Wednesday and tonight I plan to tell him my decision; after last night I see no need in waiting until tomorrow or whenever he had planned to have a formal discussion about my employment. I give the apartment a good cleaning today in case he decides against hiring me; at least I will leave things in order when I depart. I look around, satisfied that there is nothing more to be done. It's so hard to believe I have only known Mr. Grey since last Friday and I've only been staying here since Sunday. The connection we've made feels like I have known him so much longer.

Walking in the door at 7pm sharp, he asks if he can have 15 minutes before dinner. I tell him to take his time, it won't be a problem and he goes to his bedroom and closes the door.

Chicken stew is simmering on the stove, homemade bread is in a basket and salad is ready to be plated; dinner can wait as long as he needs.

Punctuality is his middle name so at 7:15pm he walks out to the breakfast bar barefoot, in jeans and a white undershirt, the most casual I have seen him. His hair is wet so I assume he had a quick shower. Formality gone, he is comfortable in my presence now.

"A glass of wine please Mrs. Jones," he asks as he pulls out the stool to sit. I select a chilled bottle of dry white, one of his favorites, and begin to pour. "I had a hell of a day today, how 'bout you?" he asks as I pass him the glass.

I ladle the chicken stew into a bowl and plate his salad placing both on a place mat in front of him at the bar, along with the basket of bread. He immediately digs in.

"I had a good day, thank's for asking. I went over the entire apartment today to make sure everything is clean and in order."

He looks at me with a questioning glance as to why I would have done that, the fear that I'm walking out after last night is still in his eyes.

"You know last week after a bad day I would have come home to an empty house with dead silence and had Chinese take-out delivered and my day would have gone from bad to worse. Today I come home to this delicious hot meal and my clean house and a smiling face and things all seem better...what a difference a few days makes. Thank you, by the way, this chicken stew is heavenly." He continues to eat, savoring each bite.

"Mr. Grey, I don't mean to disturb your dinner time so if you'd rather I wait to discuss this until later I will but I want you to know I've made a decision about coming to work for you."

He takes another bite of the stew, then a sip of wine, wipes his mouth and says, "I was going to ask if we could talk after dinner tonight but I'm fine to discuss it now. I've made my decision as well. I want you to stay, I want you to accept the job offer. I know you've only been here a few days but knowing this week when I got home there would be a hot meal waiting and that there was someone here...well, it's just been good to have you here. So, Mrs. Jones, what's it going to be?" He picks up his spoon and continues to eat, not taking his eyes off me and his grey eyes trying their best not to give anything away.

"Where do I sign, Mr. Grey?" I say confidently. "It's been a good week for me too. I just didn't see there was any need to wait for the discussion and I accept the job, sir."

He puts his spoon down and reaches out for a handshake. He has a huge smile on his face.

"Welcome home Gail," he says, and releases an exaggerated deep breath and a big sigh of relief.

"Why thank you Mr. Grey, it's good to be home!" I say smiling, he has just called me by my first name and I wonder if it was just a slip. And then we both laugh, releasing the tension that I know is hanging over from last night and it certainly clears the air.

"I hope you don't plan on leaving and can start right away, we can consider your start date this past Sunday." He is back to CEO mode.

Bless him, I am not sure if it is his need for control or his need to know I am safe and secure under his roof and not going anywhere, but I need to put his mind at ease.

"I'm here to stay Mr. Grey. I just need to get the rest of my things and wrap up a few loose ends, things I can do during the next few days."

"If everything is acceptable in the contract and you don't have any questions, we can sign and I will have my legal staff notarize the signed contracts for us unless you would like to have an independent person witness. I will give you originals of course with both our signatures."

"I trust you to take care of everything Mr. Grey, your attorney's handling things won't be a problem for me. "

I want to say something about the contract, hardly believing I am having a contract negotiation with a millionaire CEO.

"The provisions in the contract sir, they are extremely generous. I..."

"Stop," he says, "I don't want you to question the terms of the contract. I am asking you to take care of everything in my home and you have a tremendous amount of responsibility. I want you to let me decide what it is worth to me for you to take on all I am asking you to do. This has been a fairly quiet week; I'm afraid things may not always run so smoothly. It's worth it to me knowing things at home are being taken care of."

"Thank you Mr. Grey, I hope I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't. As usual dinner was delicious," he says and with that I believe our conversation is over. He stands to leave the room.

"The car you drove on Monday was on loan. A new one will be delivered for you tomorrow afternoon, I was just waiting on the final word from you. I can have your car sold if you'd like."

"Have you seen my car? We might have to pay to have it removed." I laugh.

"Leave the keys tomorrow and I'll have it taken care of and put the money in the bank for you. I will have an account set up for you and have the paperwork couriered over to you from the bank."

He begins to walk away and turns back, "Oh yes, a phone. I'll have a cell phone sent over for you tomorrow as well. I will have my phone numbers programmed into it, my cell and direct numbers to my office in case you need to get in touch with me. God forbid you ever have to you contact either of them but just in case I'll put both my parents phone numbers in there are well but please, please don't call them unless you are sure I'm dying or something worse."

"Of course not Mr. Grey and thank you...thank you again for everything."

He is just so efficient and matter of fact and like that, I have a new phone, a bank account and I am the owner of a new Audi A6, or I will be tomorrow. This is going to take some getting used to. Off to his study he goes.

Once my decision was made earlier that I would accept the job if offered my thoughts went on the other issues that I would need to discuss with Mr. Grey. Unsettled on how to approach the subject, I know I'll just have to ask the questions; we have not had trouble tackling the touch issues so far, this should really be fairly easy. I probably should have brought this up when we were talking earlier but it really did not have anything to do with my being hired or the contract so I guess I didn't think it was the right time. He said he had a bad day today, maybe I should just wait until tomorrow. I think he was feeling better after dinner so I'll just see if his door is open when I head to my quarters, I believe it is and I really want to get this over with.

Again, knocking and being invited in before I dare enter, Mr. Grey is working on his laptop and I know he is busy but this has to be discussed.

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Grey but there is something I need to ask you about, is now a good time?"

"As good a time as any, have a seat." He gestures toward the chairs in front of his desk. Closing his lap top to give me his attention and leaning forward he asks, "What's up?"

I hope I'm not overstepping a boundary of some kind, if I am he no doubt will tell me.

"Your weekend guest, Mr. Grey; I have some questions about the time she spends here sir."

Leaning back in his chair and running both hands though his hair, a bad sign indeed, his grey eyes ignite with anxiety and maybe a bit of anger as his imagination runs wild trying to figure out what I could possibly want to know.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: And now we meet the subs. All credit for the information about the submissive's used up to Leila is from another FanFiction story that I am using with permission from the author, Nuwriter. If you have not read her stories, specifically the 3 FF stories that are a continuation of the Grey's life after the Trilogy ends, please read them, they are awesome and titled Fifty Shades More, Clarity and Full Circle. In Chapter 3 of Book 2, Clarity, Ana asks Christian about his subs and he gives her some of their first names and information about them. Nuwriter has graciously given me permission to borrow them for my story since Gail is going to interact with a few of them. I have added their last names and in some cases a little more information.  
Thanks to Mani G for reminding me that Christian always called Gail Mrs. Jones, not Ms. I knew I needed to correct that and in this chapter and going forward she will be referred to as Mrs. not Ms. **

**All rights for the submissive's names and character information belongs to Nuwriter.**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 9**

"_Your weekend guest, Mr. Grey; I have some questions about the time she spends here sir."_

_Leaning back in his chair and running both hands though his hair, a bad sign indeed, his grey eyes ignite with anxiety and maybe a bit of anger as his imagination runs wild trying to figure out what I could possibly want to know._

"What do you want to know, although I'm not quite sure how anything about her is a concern of yours?" His tone is sharp and he misunderstands my intent.

"Oh no, Mr. Grey, I am so sorry, sir. I'm not asking you anything about her personally. I just wanted to say that I spent the better part of Monday organizing the kitchen and panty and wondered how much time she spent in there. If she cooked for you while she was here, I was going to offer to show her where everything is. I wanted to ask if I needed to get anything special for the weekend or if she had any food preferences. I was actually going to offer to prepare a few dishes to leave that she could easily heat. I apologize sir, I didn't mean to pry, your guests are certainly no concern of mine, I was only offering my help, sir."

He sits in silence.

"Excuse me Mr. Grey." I stand to leave his study.

"Sit down Gail."

Just like when we were upstairs and I could not move under his glare, it is almost as if I involuntarily respond and immediately sit back down.

I will not let him intimidate me but I will give him all due respect, and I will sit here and give him time to gather his thoughts.

Calling me by my first name is a double edge sword. Making it personal between us, he knows he has my attention and has me pinned to my seat.

Taking me by surprise, he gets up and walks around his desk to take a seat in the chair beside me. I turn slightly so I can see him more face to face.

He appears to relax as he speaks.

"I told you earlier in the week, I am a very private man and it's been a really long time since I've had to answer to or explain myself to anyone. Your question caught me off guard and I wasn't prepared to answer anything about the weekend."

"I'm sure Miss Baker will be pleased to meet you and for you to show her how you have organized the kitchen. Her name is Sharon...Sharon Baker. She has spent the last 3 weekends with me and she has cooked a little but I'm sure she will appreciate anything you prepare and leave for us; I know I certainly will. Make no mistake about this. You live and work here and you run this household. Miss Baker is an invited guest. If she ever seems confused about that please don't hesitate to let me know."

"Why don't you meet her when she arrives Friday evening at 8 and show her what you have done in the kitchen and feel free to ask her if there is anything special she would like to have next weekend. Prepare whatever you have available for this weekend and we will both be grateful."

"I have to ask you though, once you leave on Friday evening, I won't need you back in the apartment until after 1pm on Sunday."

I feel as if his last sentence was not a request but a warning; apparently the weekend activities are not reserved for the room upstairs. Lord help me not to walk in on them on the kitchen counter or the dining room table, I may not have enough cleaning solution on hand for Monday morning! Fair warning received and don't you dare worry, if I am in the building, I will be behind closed doors and will not come out for anything.

"That won't be a problem sir and I look forward to meeting Miss Baker Friday evening and once I show her the kitchen and pantry I will be out of your way."

"Will that be all?" he asks.

"Yes sir and again, I apologize for the misunderstanding."

"No need, like I said, we are still trying to figure this out as we go along. I don't want you to hesitate to ask me if you have a question."

"Thank you Mr. Grey."

He stands and I take that as my cue to be dismissed.

Thankful that this evening is over I retreat behind the safety of the double doors that I now call my home. I look around and begin thinking of ways I can decorate. Since I need to make myself invisible on the weekends I believe I will go shopping and get some things to brighten up the place.

Thursday is filled with all things new...my new bank account, my new blackberry cell phone, my new car and my new contact of employment and now here it is Friday evening and I am awaiting the arrival of Mr. Grey's guest.

Early this morning I went up to Miss Bakers room and changed the bed linen's, washed, dried and replaced the bathrobe I found hanging on the back of her bedroom door and placed a small vase of flowers on her dresser and in the bathroom, a few were still fresh from last Saturday. Everything is sparkling clean for her weekend.

I also went into The Room...I took a deep breath and opened the door with an open mind, remembering this is my job and these are just furnishings. I go over all the leather and wood and clean the floor with the citrus furniture polish and floor cleaner. The rich smell of leather makes me believe everything is new, Mr. Grey said he had just finished furnishing his apartment, I assume he meant this room as well. The red satin sheets on the bed look clean, I didn't want to take any chances so I stripped the bed and ran down to the laundry, the last thing I need is Mr. Grey reprimanding me for not properly cleaning his sexcapade room. Satin dries quickly so in no time I have the bed made, and everything is clean and fresh, I shudder to think what I will face on Monday morning when I return, I'll try to keep that out of my mind.

Mr. Grey arrives home at 6pm and has earlier asked me to have a steak and salad for him. His dinner is ready as well as a chilled Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gone is the ease and comfort that has grown between us and the air is heavy...with anticipation...anxiety? Is he worried about what I will think or how I am going to react? Is he afraid he may not be able to control his emotion? No matter, the mercurial Mr. Grey is silent through dinner and as he waits in his study for Miss Bakers arrival. The kitchen is clean, everything is ready for their weekend; I have prepared a cheese tray for later tonight or a snack tomorrow afternoon and wine is chilled...not knowing what they might want, I'll ask Miss Baker what she might like for me to have ready for next weekend. I'm just piddling in the kitchen when I hear the elevator.

I glance up surprised by what I see. Out from the elevator steps a beautiful young woman, easily she could have joined him in the pictures on the internet. She is about my height, maybe an inch or two taller at 5 feet 6 or 7. Her curves are perfect in a fitted navy wrap dress that hits just above her knees and shows a little too much cleavage for a lady, well in my opinion anyway. Her long wavy hair is the color of coffee, very dark brown and her skin the color of cream and as smooth as silk. She has big blue eyes that lock with mine instantly questioning my existence and wondering what I am doing interrupting her weekend when Mr. Grey walks out of his study.

I think she must be a few years older, maybe 25 or so, she has a sweet but not so innocent look in her eyes. Innocence would have been lost upon entering these doors, or at least once she went upstairs but I get a sense she came here knowing what she was getting in to. I feel as if I am watching live theater, two actors each with a role to play.

I have come around the breakfast bar, not entirely sure Mr. Grey noticed me as he left his study; I stop allowing him to greet his guest.

Unfamiliar with the man who has entered the room, he has taken on a new persona, walking taller with his shoulders squared and his voice with a tone of command as he speaks.

Miss Baker, who had been glaring at me, shifted her eyes to him when he walked out of his study and has now stopped in her tracks as he approaches. As he draws near she drops her eyes to the floor and folds her hands, still holding her overnight bag and purse on her left shoulder.

His approach is like an animal about to eat it's prey and literally sends a cold shiver over my skin. Wishing my keen sense of hearing were not so, he walks to stand behind her and leans in so they are touching and says into her right ear, "Good evening Miss Baker, it's been a long 2 weeks; I want you upstairs waiting in 15 minutes." He is taking her bags off her left shoulder and rubbing his hand down her right arm. She closes her eyes, leans her head slightly to the left so that he can easily speak into her ear. She appears to be asking for more, but he gives nothing; she opens her eyes and fixes them on mine again almost as if to say, 'See lady, he's mine.' I believe she is trying to mark her territory. This is too intimate, I should have gone to my quarters. However, I would not have wanted to miss this show between them for anything.

He abruptly leans away and stands tall again, knowing of course that I have been standing here watching all along.

"Mrs. Jones, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Sharon Baker, my houseguest for the weekend: Miss Baker, I am pleased to introduce you to Mrs. Jones, my live in housekeeper. She has been very busy this week getting the house in order and has a few things to show you. Once she is finished, you may go upstairs. I'll be in my study and Mrs. Jones will let me know when you are done." He places her bags by the foot of the stairs and retreats into his study.

I offer a smile and decide it will be up to me to set the tone for our relationship. "Miss Baker," I say, walking straight to her and reaching out my hand to shake hers. She offers a very limp hand to me and I think oh well, so much for manners and confidence. I keep my smile and continue as I walk back toward the kitchen. "I'm not sure how much time you spent in the kitchen or what you prepared on the previous weekends but the pantry is now stocked; please help yourself to anything you'd like. I have taken the liberty of preparing a few dishes for you to heat for tomorrow. There is a cheese tray and crackers for a snack later tonight or tomorrow. There is breakfast casserole for tomorrow morning made with egg white and turkey sausage. There is a bowl of fresh fruit you can have for breakfast , a snack or with any of your meals. I have prepared Alfredo sauce for noodles along with salad and bread, you just have to cook the noodles for dinner. There are muffins in the fridge for Sunday Brunch along with eggs and turkey bacon. There's milk and fruit juices as well."

"I organized the pantry and the kitchen," I continue. "Things may not be where they were last weekend. If you will leave me a list of anything special you'd like to eat or that you might need for your room I'll be glad to get it for you. Just leave me a note or let Mr. Grey know."

"Do you have any questions?" I ask her and she looks at me, a little bewildered.

"You live here...all the time...with hi...with Mr. Grey?" she finally speaks.

Yes, I must set the tone.

I look at her with a warning that will only come from my eyes; not my words or even my tone of voice.

"Miss Baker, did you have any questions about the kitchen or pantry? If not, I'll let Mr. Grey know we are done."

I am just letting her know I will not be answering questions about my role here or about Mr. Grey. I'll let this go, I am sure she is just testing me, testing the boundaries, trying to find out who is in charge here between the two of us. I am afraid she will be sorely disappointed when she realizes the pecking order, no pun intended. Mr. Grey made that pretty clean to me anyway, I'm not sure if or when he will tell her. Either way, I will not be discussing Mr. Grey, my employment here or my relationship, while it is nothing but professional, with Mr. Grey.

Deciding to play nice, at least for now, she takes the warning to heart.

"No ma'am, I can't think of anything I need right now. And thank you for the food you have prepared, I know Mr. Grey will be happy, I'm not the best cook." Miss Baker at least for now sounds sincere. I hope she see's that I am not the enemy. She really is beautiful, especially now that she has a smile on her face.

"I'll just go upstairs, if you'll let Mr. Grey know."

She turns and walks toward the entry way and up stairway to...to what? Goodness, I'm really not sure. I know they are young and healthy but they can't spend the entire weekend in that room.

As I watch her walk away I am suddenly overcome with emotion and a lone tear escapes and rolls down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away and take a deep breath tuning my back to Miss Baker as she leaves and hoping Mr. Grey does not decide to come out to see what is taking so long.

What if that were my daughter walking up those stairs? I have grown very fond of Mr. Grey this last week and I can't help but think he somehow faces his demons in that room, which means this won't be all good for Miss Baker. He was not the same man I had come to know over the last week when he came home tonight or when he greeted Miss Baker as she arrived. I know in my head he won't hurt her but right now my heart has betrayed me and is aching for the young woman I have just met. I will not judge their relationship, I will not get involved.

Who I am kidding? All she had to do was walk in the door and I'm involved. Before it was just a room upstairs; now it is all very real. 'It's who I am'' he told me earlier this week. Well, now I can't help but worry about her. She is older than Mr. Grey, I'm sure of it; they are two consenting adults and like he so eloquently pointed out last night, nothing about Miss Baker or what is about to go on is any concern of mine. I have to let this go.

With resolve to free my mind of the conflicting emotions that have taken up residence there, I decide its time to go. I take one last glance at the kitchen and all is in order.

Walking with purpose to Mr. Grey's study, I waste no time. Knocking and pushing the door that is ajar all the way open, I speak before he has time to look up, much less say anything. "Miss Baker has gone upstairs Mr. Grey and I'll be leaving sir. I hope you both have a pleasant weekend." I turn and walk toward the double doors that lead away from this craziness, suddenly feeling like the dam is about to break; what is wrong with me? I reach the door thinking I'm home free when I feel his grip on my arm.

"I'll see you Sunday afternoon, you'll be back by then won't you?"

Mr. Grey catches me by the time I get to the door to my quarters and he is terrified, no doubt by the way he has grabbed my arm to stop my forward motion. Once again we find ourselves sharing this unique intimacy that we have. Is it mother and son, big sister and kid brother, mama bear and baby bear, God help me I just don't know. Afraid again that I am leaving him and honestly right now, I feel like walking out and never looking back. The tables have turned; it's written all over my face, he received the message loud and clear in my voice and he is now peering straight into my soul, grey eyes piercing into clear blue.

"Don't leave me," he says.

I am speechless but I believe my eyes are doing all the talking as I look down to where he is still holding on to my upper arm.

"Sorry," he barely whispers, releasing me from his grip. I don't move remaining perfectly still. He knows I'm leaving and I very well may not return.

"I'm not going to hurt her, I assure you she is safe."

He truly has read my heart and mind, my greatest fear being that somehow Miss Baker, while coming here of her own free will, is going to be hurt in some way and if she is, will find it hard to leave; knowing he has some sort of control over her.

Trust, it all comes down to trust. Do I trust him...trust him not to hurt Miss Baker physically beyond what she can bear? In many ways he is beginning to own my heart and soul...can I trust him not to hurt me mentally and emotionally beyond what I can bear?


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Thank you for every review; to address just a few...not rushing to Ana, this is Gail's story with Christian first...we will get there...just have a few things to do first; Gail and CG are NOT and WILL NOT be ****romantically involved (Yuck!). Patience my friends. A major stepping stone here...leading to another major stepping stone next chapter and so on and so forth...Please hang with me...Please keep reviewing...Please remember this is my imagined back story for Gail...Love Y'all! **

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 10**

Trust, it all comes down to trust. Do I trust him...trust has to be earned; it is a strong bond but a fragile gift that is easily destroyed. There is no reason for me not to trust him 100%. I have to trust until he gives me a reason not to. If we can't trust each other we won't have anything. He has trusted me. I don't think he has been as vulnerable with anyone as he has been with me and I have to take that as an offering, he does not give of himself often or freely.

I knew I had to get away so I went to the only place I know that would totally clear my head, I went home. It's not really feasible to run here every weekend but I haven't come in a while, having stayed with my sister since my last job.

I drove the 3 hours south on the I-5 in no time in the Audi and found myself at the coast; the fog was thick and I couldn't see the ocean but I knew it was there. I probably shouldn't have come this late at night but I had to get out of Seattle.

Even in the dark of night I know the streets like the back of my hand. I head north up Pacific Ave and turn down the little dirt road to my happy place. Peaking out from the brush is the grey wood house; how ironic, pale grey with dark grey shutters; mother said the wind and salt and sea would not damage the color if we painted it grey. Thankful that I remembered to close the shutters over the windows last winter they have hopefully kept out the weather.

I park, open the door and breathe in heavy salt air. Home, yes this is where I need to be, if only for 24 hours, my head will be clear when I leave. The porch wood moans when I step up; the screen door has remained secure. I open the front door and feel as if I am stepping back in time.

It's been 10 years since mother passed but I can still hear and smell her. What I'd give for one more talk at the kitchen table. This was her home and she always opened the door to anyone who wanted to come in. A welcoming soul she was, never meeting a stranger, everyone was family once they sat at her table and shared a meal; and no one left without sharing a meal. She always had a pot on the stove and could stretch food like Jesus with the fish and loaves, I've never seen the likes. If you left her table hungry it was your own fault.

My sister was gone off into the world and I guess that's what made it easy for us to come back here after college and settle down; thinking we'd stay and take care of the vacationers.

I go to my room, well, our room...it's dusty and a little damp feeling but nothing that a shake of the cover won't cure. I pull back the quilts giving them a tussle, slip off my pants and shirt and crawl under the covers. If the quilts could talk they'd tell the stories of my mother and precious grandmother who put them together; now the cloth feels as if it is their hands and arms wrapping around me to hold me, warm and safe in the shelter of my home again. They'd tell the stories of my first love and the brief time we were together as husband and wife before he was taken from me 5 years ago. Alone, but comforted by the presence of things familiar. Sleep comes quickly; I just pray that rest and peace will come as well.

"_...you are where you are supposed to be..."_

"_...hmm...what did you say..."_

"_...you will be an anchor and a rock..."_

"_...me?...anchor...?"_

"_...one will join you to complete you..."_

"_...complete me..."_

"_...you will love again..."_

"_...love?...again?..."_

Bright light...so bright it is almost blinding...why can't I see? Where am I?

Bolting straight up in the bed I am shivering. The bright light is the sunshine, no fog today it seems but what time is it? I reach for my watch, I must have taken it off, IT'S NOON!

I have slept at least 12 straight hours! OH. MY. GOODNESS. I can not believe I have slept until noon!

The drive must have exhausted me...well, the reason for the drive sure did.

Wait, I didn't open the window and I know the shutters were closed over them last night. I don't recall about the curtains but I'd swear the shutters were secure.

Someone is here...someone was talking to me...that's what woke me up...I was having a conversation. I think back trying to recall every word. I jump out of bed and run to the kitchen; there's no one here. Checking all the rooms, I'm as alone as I was last evening. Who said those things to me. Was I dreaming? No, it was a clear audible voice. Okay, maybe I'm going crazy.

I look out and sure enough, the fog is gone and the sun is shining brightly. With half the day gone I really need to get a move on. I'll shower later. I wash up quickly and put on jeans and a sweatshirt and head out to the café down by the port. I get 2 sandwiches to go along with a coffee, juice and 2 bottles of water. There's homemade pie coming out of the oven as I pay so 2 slices have to come home with me as well; with that I'm set for the day.

Back at the house I sit down at the kitchen table to have my lunch, it's going on 1pm now and I still can't believe I slept 12 hours. I look over to the middle of the table and there beside a half-burned candle and the napkin holder is my mother's bible. Putting my sandwich and coffee down and pushing them over to the side, I pick up the bible and feel it's soft worn leather cover. It falls open to what appears to be the center of the book where I find a red card and a verse that is underlined. The verse says,

"_For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29: 11_

I drop the bible to the table almost as if it were alive and the red card falls out of its place. Not noticing initially, the card has writing on the opposite side. I pick it up and it's all I can do to take my next breath.

_My dearest Gail,_

_I found your mothers bible today on the bookcase and felt compelled to read. She must have placed a blank red card here for a reason, maybe she knew I'd need it one day. I started reading because this is where the book fell open. It looks like God is sending a letter to his people telling them he knows the plans he has for them and it is to bless them._

_You know I am not an overly religious man but I do believe in God and I know that he blessed me with you. I know that he has a plan for our future. My hope is that we will have a long and happy life together, prosperous and without harm as the bible says. But know this, it is better to have spent one day with you my love than a thousand with anyone else on earth. No matter what our future holds, we know who holds the future. I will live each day knowing that I am blessed...beyond anything I could have ever hoped or dreamed and certainly beyond what I deserve because you are mine. _

_Always be happy my precious Gail, no matter what the future holds, never stop being who you are...kind, loving, caring, a helper and encourager._

_I will love you until the end of time._

_Your Tim_

_May 1, 2002_

I am not sure how long I cry, then sit in shock before I take a deep breath and wonder how I never found this before today. Have I not looked at my mothers bible in the last 5 years? He wrote this just a few days before he died.

And the conversation from earlier...or voices or angels or God or...Tim, was that you speaking to me earlier.

I absolutely believe in God and in guardian angels and while I don't really believe that people return from the dead to speak...well, God is powerful and can do anything he wants, I just don't think that's how he would choose to speak. Anyway, as I try to process everything that has happened today and put it all together I am overwhelmed to say the least.

In my dream...or whatever it was...my mind or subconscious state...I believe I heard or felt anyway that I am where I am supposed to be, I will be a rock and anchor and someone will come who will complete me. Now that last part makes no sense at all. I already believe I am where I should be and I believe I was led there to be a support for Mr. Grey, a rock and anchor...well, he does need someone who can be stable and dependable and I know I can do that.

Complete me? I didn't know I was incomplete so I'll have to ponder that because I have no clue what it means...unless maybe Tom Cruise is gonna walk in the door...isn't that what the chic said to him in that movie he was in...'you complete me'...yeah right! I'm complete just fine without a man thank you very much!

And then mother's bible... now that is something sacred I'm not gonna go arguing against. I believe God's word is the truth and if God said it then that settles it, I'm gonna believe it till God tells me different.

So it seems as if God and Tim are giving me a message about the plan for my future...a plan for prosperity, not to harm me... for hope and a future...hmmm...

Well, my husband was out for a run one evening and was killed by a drunk driver when he was 27 years old...after that I really felt like I had lost all hope for my future.

My mother had been gone 5 years and then my husband who was the world to me, taken in an instant, yes, I thought my life was over then. I knew they would both be terribly disappointed in me if I gave up...so in honor, in memory and out of respect for them both, I grieved...but I have kept going.

Tim was hit from behind and a witness said he never saw it coming. The coroner assured me he died on impact and that he did not suffer. That is the only thing that has ever given me peace.

I went to the sentencing once the driver was convicted; his blood alcohol was 3 times the normal limit, a doctor testified he did not know how he was conscious to drive. He also had marijuana and barbiturates in his system.

The judge asked if he had anything to say and he stood, clearly a wreck of a man, knowing his life was over for all intents and purposes, leaving behind a wife he was separated from and a precious little 4 year old girl. He looked over at me and said he was sorry and if he could live that day over he would never have gotten in the car.

I had the DA to ask the judge to allow me to address the court, meaning the accused, once he finished speaking and the judge agreed. No one was aware except the DA and the judge, that I would be speaking.

Once the defendant sat down everyone expected the judge to give his verdict but instead he looked at me and said, "Mrs. Jones, I believe you have earned the right to address the court."

I stood and faced the judge, "Thank you, your honor."

I then turned and faced the man who killed my husband. He glanced at me then hung his head.

"Sir would you give me the courtesy of looking at me when I speak to you?" He looked up then sat straight in his chair.

"I would give anything if we could go back to that day and if we could stop you from getting in the car, or stop you from drinking or using drugs...or if I could ask my husband not to go for a run that evening. The unfortunate thing is we can not turn back time; we must deal with the circumstances we have been dealt and decide how to move forward. I will love Tim Jones until I breathe my last breath and neither you nor anyone else can take that away from me. It will break my heart every day that he is not here for me to share my love. I will have to find other ways to spend my days because they won't be spent with my husband building the future we had planned and dreamed about.

Please understand and make no mistake about this; I will not spend my time hating you and I will not hold unforgiveness in my heart toward you. That is not who I am, it is not who I want to become. I hope you never forget the pain and suffering you have caused and I hope you remember every day that you killed my husband. I forgive you and I hope that you will somehow forgive yourself."

I walked out of the courtroom.

They say time heals all wounds...whoever 'they' is does not know what they are talking about. The loss of parent and husband left a wound that I was not sure would ever heal but as time has gone on...it has closed over for the most part.

And then there are days like today when the scab gets ripped off again. I don't believe it could hurt any more than it hurts now. It's dark out so I know I have thought about this way too long.

Funny, I was coming to my happy place and here I am with a broken heart exposed again...raw emotion to deal with that takes time to get tucked away...this will be difficult to hide from Mr. Grey, he is very perceptive.

I'm sure he knows about my husband and the trial and everything from my background check but I hope we don't have to discuss it. Let's keep the dark sad stuff in the closets.

Bedtime comes and I find comfort again under the quilts and I believe I am going to take them back with me to the apartment; nothing will make me feel more like I am at home than these will.

The clear head I had hoped for was not to be found, in its place, memories galore and pieces of a broken heart.

Driving 3 hours does give me time to put things in perspective. I would not say I am in my happy place, but I am content...I have put Tim and our marriage to rest again and I am blessed to have found the red card and my mothers bible; both of which along with the quilts are making their way back to Seattle with me. I will never forget him and the love we had but I also know the he would come back and kill me dead if he knew I was mourning him 5 years after his death. I sure did love him and I know I'll never find another like him. In the job that I have there is not a lot of opportunity for romance and I am perfectly content with the way things are.

Arriving back to Escala at 2pm I see that both Mr. Grey's vehicles are here but Miss Bakers car is gone so I should be safe to return. I go up the service elevator and enter the staff quarters though the back corridor.

I have put my things in my bedroom and think I'll venture out to see what I might find when the double doors to the quarters swing open.

"Mrs. Jones, it's good to see you are home. Did you have a good weekend?" Mr. Grey looks relieved that I am here but is trying not to show it.

"I did Mr. Grey. Have you had lunch?" I decide not to ask him how his weekend was, I can't imagine how he would answer and frankly I don't want to know.

"Yes, I had a sandwich just before Miss Baker left. Thank you for the food you prepared and left for us, it was delicious." He has a genuine smile on his face. "Would you be free to go over the weekly schedule and menu's later this afternoon or early evening?"

"Yes sir, anytime; what time would you like dinner this evening?"

"How about dinner at 6 and then we discuss the week's plans afterward at say, 7. "

"That sounds perfect, sir.

"Great, I'll be working in my office and then I plan to go for a run about 5 and be back in time for dinner.

After dinner we sit down to discuss the week and menus and it seems as if all is back to normal between us and our week will be routine. He will be a joy to cook for as there is absolutely nothing he will not eat. My heart aches when I think of him being hungry as a child so I will not go there; I will make it my mission to insure that meal time is pleasurable for him from this point forward.

He seems in good spirits and I'm sure that is partly because of Miss Baker and partly because of my return. There is no mention of Miss Baker by either of us and I certainly won't be brining her up.

Monday morning brings the dreaded task of cleaning upstairs. Debating what to do first, I decide to do Mr. Grey's bedroom then head upstairs.

There is absolutely no sign that anyone has been in his room apart from Mr. Grey. Assuming this room is off-limits I move on upstairs wondering which room to tackle first.

I decide the bedroom. Opening her door I find the room in perfect order and I'm not sure why that surprises me. I pull back the duvet and I am certain that no one has been in the bed besides Miss Baker. The sheets are fresh with only a faint smell of her body wash, not at all what one would expect after the weekend.

As I turn toward the bathroom for the towels I notice a piece of paper folded over and standing on her dresser with my name on it…what in the world? Picking it up and opening with care, once again I am surprised by what I find.

_Mrs. Jones,_

_I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me this weekend. From cleaning my room, to the flowers you left for me, to the food you prepared…you went out of your way to take care of me. It's been a really long time since I felt like anyone cared for me like that and I just wanted to tell you it meant the world to me._

_Thank you again, I hope to see you soon._

_Sharon Baker_

Wow…I'm not sure Mr. Grey would appreciate this so I think I'll keep it to myself. The note confuses me even more and makes me wonder why she seeks to be in this type of relationship. I do believe this is a question I may never have answered.

I get the linens replaced, bathroom cleaned and close the door, and I'll just need to freshen things up on Friday morning.

Retrieving the key from my pocket I unlock and enter the door at the other end of the hall. I can tell the room has been used, the lemony fresh smell has been replaced by a slightly musty odor, I should expect nothing less after 48 hours of sex. Not letting my mind linger on what has transpired, I get to the task at hand and that is cleaning all the surfaces. Donning gloves, I have an industrial strength cleaner that is safe for leather and fine wood surfaces but is also an antibacterial disinfectant. Using disposable cloths, all the surfaces are wiped down and it really was not as unpleasant as I anticipated. There are a few of the implements that are slightly out of place, a belt is not hanging in the right place and one of the canes is turned sideways. I straighten everything, clean the floor, change the sheets and so it is done, week one of cleaning the red room complete. Assuming if there were special instructions Mr. Grey would tell me or Miss Baker would have left me a note in this room as well! Closing and locking the door, thankful to be replacing this key to is holding place for another week.

Time seems to fly by and we are in a comfortable routine. I have seen Miss Baker a few times on Friday nights, usually as I am about to head out for dinner and a movie or shopping. She is always pleasant with me, and on her best behavior with Mr. Grey. I have stayed in the apartment, but out of the way and in my quarters on the weekends It has not been a problem, Mr. Grey has even had me prepare dinner on Saturday evening a few times; I quickly excuse myself as soon as I am done.

It's Wednesday and Mr. Grey has seemed tense this week, rather quiet in the evenings. He called this morning just before lunchtime.

"Hello."

"Mrs. Jones, would it be too much trouble to have a guest for dinner this evening?"

"No sir, not at all. Is there anything special you'd like me to prepare?"

"No, well, yes, uh, not special, how about some type of chicken and salad, she doesn't eat really rich food, likes to eat healthy. And have 2 bottle white wine chilled. Dinner at 7:30. Will that work?"

"Yes sir, not a problem at all."

"Okay, see you then."

And with that, he hangs up. I wonder who's coming to dinner?


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Of course you all knew who was coming...**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 11**

Salad is prepared and chicken is in the oven; wine is chilled and the dining room table is set. Mr. Grey did not tell me who is coming to dinner but I didn't take it that he would want to dine at the breakfast bar. I'm curious but of course it is not my place to ask who his dinner guest will be.

Dressing in black and a formal blouse and my pearls for formal service this evening, I know I have made the right decision when Mr. Grey walks into the kitchen in a black coat and black pants. He is without his tie, since he is dining at home.

"A glass of wine while you wait Mr. Grey?"

He stops at the breakfast bar, taking me by surprise. "Gail, I'll be right back; tonight calls for more than a glass of wine."

He strolls to his office like a gazelle, taking long strides and with purpose. Returning a moment later with a glass 3 fingers full of amber liquid, the aged Scotch he keeps in the side bar in his study I believe, he pulls out a stool and takes his seat at the breakfast bar. Raising his glass to me and smiling, "Cheers."

I look at him as he tips the glass back taking a long slow pull then licking his lips after swallowing...I'm sure the liquid burns going down. Not knowing why he feels the need to dull the ache that must be coming, I search his eyes as he has chosen not to turn away from me. I see turmoil, anger and impatience possibly with having to put on this show he is about to perform.

"Elena Lincoln is a friend of my family, actually my mother's good friend. We have become business partners and friends the last few years. She wanted to see the apartment and actually wanted to meet you. She has the misguided notion that since she is a friend she is looking out for me."

He takes another drink.

"I'd appreciate your discretion, my family doesn't know we are in business together"...he hesitates..." or that we're friends...should the subject ever come up that is."

I stop in my tracks, put my hand on my hip and raise an eyebrow at him.

"Really?"

"I know, she's complicated, I just had to say it. It's just that she crosses all the lines, business, family, personal, she can be quite demanding and difficult at times."

I can see that while he has called her friend, she is a point of stress for him. He is apologizing for her before she ever arrives. Is he embarrassed? Does she have some hold over him that he doesn't want his family to find out? The tension is radiating off him as he turns the glass up and drains it this time. I have never seen him drink like this and am really surprised, although he was stressed before this dinner came up.

He pushes the empty glass toward me and gets up and walks over to the couch to sit and wait.

At precisely 7:30 pm I hear the elevator ping and as Mr. Grey rises, he mumbles not wanting me to catch what he says hearing him none the less, "Show time."

He is in the entryway before the doors open and she has time to exit the elevator. I want to watch this interaction to see what pieces of the Christian Grey puzzle will fall in to place tonight.

Stepping out is a beautiful woman, probably my age or close to it, trying her best to keep that secret hidden. She is tall with legs that look a mile long, of course in those 6 inch stiletto's who wouldn't. She has platinum blonde hair, I know there is no way it came from anything but a bottle and it is cut just above her shoulder level in a sharp blunt bob. Skin smooth without a wrinkle thanks to some plastic surgeon in Seattle, it's fairly obvious she has had work done. She is dressed in all black, black leather, that is. How...unnecessary...is that. Mr. Grey greets her and she reaches for his arms as if very familiar in the hug she gives and the kiss on each of his cheeks. She turns for him to take her jacket and she has on a very tight black sweater that reveals a very impressive chest, again, someone's handiwork I'm sure.

Since she wants to meet me lets just let her check that off her list and I'll get a better look at her, up close and personal, shall we say. I walk around the breakfast bar and stop at the great room, I'll offer to take her jacket from Mr. Grey so my standing here won't seem totally inappropriate.

She walks through the entryway and into the expanse of the apartment looking around proudly as if she had given Mr. Grey a task and he accomplished it. She notices me and our eyes lock. Oh lady, here we go.

"Well you must be the cleaning lady," she says as she prances over to meet me. Her head is held high and she is looking right down her fixed nose at me. "I'm Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Grey's dear friend..and you are...?"

It has taken me about a nanosecond to sum her up. One look into those eyes of hers and it was like looking into an evil skull. Wanting to be in control here tonight so badly she is trying to establish that she believes I am nothing in this charade. Not realizing that Mr. Grey has already told me a lot about her by trying to numb himself to tolerate her presence, I rise up to the challenge and let her know she does not want to take me on.

"Mrs. Lincoln, it is nice to meet you. I am Mrs. Jones, Mr. Grey's live in housekeeper. I manage everything here at Escala. If you'll allow me to take your coat, I'll be glad to get you a glass of wine and show you the apartment."

Mr. Grey is standing slightly behind her and offers me her jacket and is trying hard to hide the smirk on his face. Oh sir, I have your back and if she thinks she is going to come in here to insult me she has another think coming.

I hang the jacket in the coat closet and walk to the wine cooler retrieving the chilled bottle.

"Mr. Grey, sir, may I get your wine now?"

"Yes Gail, please."

Don't mess with us, we are a team here.

Mrs. Lincoln looks at him then at me as he calls me by my first name and I can see the wheels turning in her head, I am sure thinking he is being way too familiar with me when he should maintain a professional relationship.

I hand each of them a glass, as they are still standing near the entry in the great room.

"As you see Mrs. Lincoln, this is the great room and with the open floor plan you see the kitchen and breakfast bar," and walking toward that area, "and over here the dining room, Mr. Grey's piano and a lovely balcony and view of the city."

"If you'll follow me please. This is Mr. Grey's study," I pause but do not invite her in, "this is the TV and game room" briefly opening the door for her to see in and then as I turn to walk back toward the great room she pauses and asks, "what's behind those doors?"

"Staff quarters," I said as bluntly as possible. "That area is private."

I walk back to the great room with my head held high and for a moment she just stands there. Stopping in the great room to give her time to catch up, I walk toward the other side of the apartment. I have decided hell will freeze over before I take her in Mr. Grey's bedroom or upstairs if she asks to see what is up there.

We get to the other side and I stand just beyond the sofa.

"Down this corridor is Mr. Grey's master suite. Down this way is the utility room, wine cellar and security office. I'm sure none of that interests you."

She looks at Mr. Grey who has dutifully followed along and touches his arm is a way that is too familiar for a friend or business partner.

"Christian, I want to see your bedroom." She is almost purring like a cat when she speaks to him.

"I really don't think that is necessary Elena, it's a room with a bed and a bathroom and closet."

He turns away from her to walk toward the dining room table. Christian-1 Elena-0.

"Well don't you have an upstairs, I thought this place was much bigger?" she says with sarcasm in her voice.

Mr. Grey's hand is running through his hair and I know he is tiring of her and we have not yet had dinner!

"Mrs. Lincoln the upstairs is simply guest bedrooms, all painted white, only one has a simple white bed. There is nothing to see. We were not going to go upstairs, we keep that area closed off," I tell her with authority but all due respect. Gail-1 Elena -0.

She might as well give up; whatever agenda she came here with, it will not be accomplished. She is watching me carefully and I am not afraid to stare right back at her.

Making her boldest move yet, she reaches out, and locks her arm through Mr. Grey's.

"Take me to dinner Christian, I'm really bored of this tour."

I realize she thinks they are leaving for dinner; did she not see the table set for 2, maybe she just did not notice.

"Mrs. Jones has prepared dinner, we are eating in so we can have a relaxing evening. I love eating at home now and Mrs. Jones meals are better than what we could have dining out."

"Hmmph" She grunts.

I am quite sure I was not to hear that; maybe I need to get a sign for the door; housekeeper has keen sense of hearing, watch what you say!

I am already in the kitchen and Mr. Grey has escorted his guest to the dining room table. Dinner is served without event and I retreat as often as possible out of the way. The wine service is at the dining room table so I am able to leave them alone to enjoy their dinner.

As I arrive back to the dining room after they have had time to eat, wanting to check to see if they need anything, I smile as I listen in.

Reluctantly, Mrs. Lincoln compliments me to Mr. Grey.

"As cooks go, she did prepare a good salad and the chicken was excellent Christian. I'm glad you have someone to take care of you." While speaking to him, she reaches over to touch him, something she has done the entire evening. When she looks at him, she has the look in her eyes that are suggesting things that should not be said between a woman her age and Mr. Grey.

I enter the dining area wanting to interrupt this moment because I don't like it and I don't think Mr. Grey does either.

"Is there anything else I can get either of you?" I ask.

Their wine glasses do not need filling and their plates are clean so I offer to remove them from the table. Of course the compliment from earlier was not for me to hear at all.

"Dinner was excellent as usual, thank you," Mr. Grey says with a smile as he looks up to me while I clear his plate.

Mrs. Lincoln looks up to me but her eyes are neither thankful or gracious; but greedy and needy, like she is there to take anything she can get. She wants Mr. Grey, that is obvious, but what part of him...his money, his body, his soul...all the above?

As I am walking away I see Mrs. Lincoln lean over to Mr. Grey, again, rubbing up his arm. I glance back and I can tell he is uncomfortable.

"Take me upstairs Christian, I want to see your playroom. You need to show me you know what you are doing now that you are on your own without me."

She has pushed him just beyond the point of no return. I am not sure I fully understand what she means but I come to realize this, that woman is evil and she has at some point had control over Mr. Grey and it is clear she no longer has control but very much wants it back. She is going to try to manipulate him to get what she wants.

"That's enough Elena. Dinner is over and it's time for you to go." Out of his chair, he is walking toward the door. He is barely holding on to control and while his tone was sharp he did not raise his voice to her.

She strolls over to him without a care in the world.

"Oh Christian, calm down. You act like I'm asking you to submit. Don't be so tense, I think if we did go up there you might feel a lot better."

"I don't need you Elena, or your approval. Don't you ever forget that."

"Whatever Christian. You'll always need me, I'm all you have."

Not sure if they realize I am still in the kitchen, I decide it's time to make myself know. They are far enough away that I really shouldn't have been able to understand their conversation; unfortunately for me, I heard every word loud and clear. The dining table has been cleared and there is more I could do in the kitchen but it will just have to wait until tomorrow.

I come around the breakfast bar not intending to approach them but Mr. Grey looks at me, our eyes locking and there is the little boy, broken, hurting and afraid.

He didn't want her to invade his private space but took the chance and let her in physically to his home. She has bullied me and patronized him the entire evening. From what I have just overheard apparently she has had some type of relationship with him where they needed each other and I'm afraid the puzzle pieces begin to fall in place.

He did fine right up until the her last comment and she has just crushed him. He has respect for this vile woman and what she thinks of him and what he has accomplished means a great deal. He cares for her, it's obvious but it's as if he is trying to cut ties, almost as a child is trying to get out from their parents overbearing wing, do things on their own. But she won't let him. She has him convinced that he is nothing without her. And now, as he looks back at me with fear and pain I want so much to go slap her and to tell him I'm here and that we are going to be all right. Fear radiates off him, fear that she is right, that he has no one else; afraid that it will always be this way and deep down afraid that she will leave him, he has been left before, why shouldn't she leave him as well. Broken boys don't deserve anyone, bad boys surely don't. I hate his emotions are so easy to read when he is like this.

I want to stay but I know it's inappropriate for me to be here.

"Mr. Grey, will you be needing anything else this evening?" I look at him and try with everything in me to let him know that I am here for him and I'm just steps away, behind the closed doors down the hall.

His mask goes on and it's as if he shakes his head to steel himself once more.

"No thank you Mrs. Jones, have a good evening. I'll see you in the morning."

"My pleasure to meet you Mrs. Lincoln," I say praying God does not strike me dead on the spot for telling an intentional little white lie.

She smiles a fake smile at me and does not even have the courtesy to speak.

Before I'm even through the doors to my quarters I can hear Mr. Grey again.

"My God Elena, how embarrassing. If you have no more respect for me than that display don't ever expect to come back. And I mean it, it's been a long day. I still have work to do and I'm sorry but we need to call it a night."

I'm through the doors and not able to hear her response but I'm almost positive I hear the elevator moments later.

Over the last several weeks as much as I hated to I did a little research into the relationship Mr. Grey and Miss Baker have. I learned about Dominant/submissive's and about bondage, sadism, masochism and a lot of other things I have tried to forget. Still not really understanding the why, at least not for Miss Baker, I barely understand Mr. Grey needs control. Tonight Mrs. Lincoln said Mr. Grey was acting as if she was asking him to submit. As I think about the things she said, the way she touched him all night and the way she looked at him, I am convinced of a few things. They have had an intimate relationship. She introduced him to this lifestyle. And last and most importantly, I despise her and do not know how I will tolerate being in the same room with her again. No, I hate her, plain and simple, I have never hated anyone in my life but I believe that with everything in me I hate Elena Lincoln.

I am startled out of my fit of fury over this woman by music...sad, painful, piano music that is faintly seeping in through the doorway. I had made it no farther inside than the couch in our common area/great room I was so angry. Wondering if Mr. Grey is playing I barely open the door and sure enough, it is the piano. The music is almost painful to listen to and it just breaks my heart what this woman has done to him tonight. Something was off and bothering him all week and she is certainly the icing on the cake. Some people play to relieve stress, hopefully this is in some way helping him. Closing the door as not to get caught, I think I'll soak in a hot tub of water to relieve my stress of the day.

Oh God, someone is in here and they are hurting him. I'll never forgive myself if I do nothing. Grabbing my robe and cell phone to call 911 I open the doors and quickly cross the great room. Alternating between screams of pain and loud cries, maybe he has already been hurt, I'm over-thinking this, I just have to do something. Standing outside Mr. Grey's bedroom door, he screams out again as if it is a cry from the pit of his soul. I swing open the door to find him tucked in a fetal position writhing in the bed. He has pajama bottoms on, no shirt and his back is to me and glistening with sweat and his hair is soaked.

"Noooooo..." he screams out and begins to roll in the bed.

I realize he is having a nightmare but I'm in here now, I can't just walk out.

"Mr. Grey...Mr. Grey... Christian" finally calling him by his first name.

He bolts up in the bed staring at me as if he is looking at an unknown invader. He is panting as if he has just run for miles.

"I'm sorry Mr. Grey, you were screaming and I was afraid you were hurt."

"Gail". He said my name almost breathless trying to calm himself and regain his composure.

"I, um, I guess you see, I have nightmares. I'm sorry I woke you but I'm fine. Go back to bed."

"Yes sir." He slips off the bed and goes into the bathroom and closes the door. As I turn to leave his room I notice the clock, 3:07am.

As he walks by I couldn't help but notice in the light of the moon that shone through the window, several perfectly rounds scars on the flawless skin that rippled across his back. My God those could only be from one thing. Walking out of the room I believe I'll be the one screaming now.

Tossing and turning for a few hours rocked by the night terror and trying not to imagine what haunts him from his past, trying not to feel the searing pain that still burns him when he sleeps too deeply. All the years with the Grey's have not healed the agony of the first 4 years of his life. And whatever good they did, it has been tainted by the evil schemes of one Elena Lincoln.

Hoping that she will not be a frequent guest is all that finally brings me peace. Knowing his schedule of work, exercise, occasion trips to his parents and his weekend guest, there shouldn't be any time to fit her in, especially when she didn't seem to cause anything but trouble, at least while she was here.

Rising before the first peek of dawn, I think I'll make muffins, Mr. Grey seemed to really enjoy those before and at this hour, I have plenty of time. I'm in the kitchen with the muffins in the oven just before 6am, and 6 comes and goes with no Mr. Grey. He must be tired from last night. Shortly after 7am I have to admit I'm a little worried. There's no way I'm going back into his bedroom unannounced. I put on a pot of coffee…maybe that will wake him up. Minutes later, out walks the CEO dressed from head to toe and looking no worse for the wear of the last 12 hours.

"Morning Gail," he says as he sits at the breakfast bar.

Pouring his coffee, handing him the cup and plating a hot muffin I look at him, trying not to let the sympathy show.

"Good morning. This should get you started, what else would you like for breakfast sir?"

"Bacon and eggs, please."

"Coming right up," I say with a smile and I get busy knowing he needs to leave shortly.

"I should have warned you."

"Sir?"

"The nightmares. Funny, I have them all the time but they haven't been so bad since you've been here. Maybe it was just knowing someone else was in the house. Then the last days at work have been hard and Elena was just being cruel last night."

"Don't apologize, that's on her and I've got tough skin." Trying to convey that she has done nothing except make me want to protect him even more, I meet his eyes with a genuine smile.

"I'm sure there's nothing I can do to make work better. But anything at home sir, just let me know."

He smiles, stress continuing to show through.

"Actually there is something I need to share with you. You may get a call from my head of security, Welch. He is going to be working with the building security here to activate the closed circuit monitors. Security has tightened at GEH and Welch gave the ultimatum earlier this week, I have to hire personal security. Getting the CCTV ready is one of the first steps. He has some people in mind but as you know, there is a process to go though."

I listen intently and wonder what has happened to bring about the change is security, certainly a threat of some sort. I've worked with high profile people before but none as intense and with their hands in the cookie jars Mr. Grey seems to dabble in. He deals in international business, works with or sometimes around governments who could be less than cooperative to get food and humanitarian supplies to people in need, I've kept my eyes and ears open and learned a lot.

"So, there may need to be some maintenance done for wiring, setting up the monitors and such. Don't let anyone in the apartment unless you get a call from Welch or myself and we will give you details on what will be happening."

"Yes sir."

Finishing his breakfast, he grabs his jacket and briefcase and heads toward the elevator.

"Don't worry about any of this, I won't let anything happen to you, you are safe here with me."

Somehow that does not quite settle the uneasy feeling that has settled in the pit of my gut.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: So sorry my precious readers for the wait...life got in the way...I PROMISE this is not a story about Christian and his subs...I PROMISE Taylor and Ana are coming...I PROMISE to update at least every week (this was an unusual delay!)**

**Thank you again to Fanfiction author Nuwriter (go read her stories) for the use of the names of her subs.**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James.**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 12**

Tension continues to build the last several weeks and I really don't feel at liberty to ask questions, but if something doesn't give soon, Mr. Grey is going to explode...or should I say, explode again.

Miss Baker had arrived Friday night and I was still in the apartment. Mr. Grey called to say there was a situation at work, asking me to show Miss Baker in and to have her wait in the great room or her bedroom and he asked me to stay in the apartment until he arrived home.

Workers had been in the security office and everything is complete and up and running on the CCTV; all that needs to be done was press the "on" button. Welch himself, who I had spoken to on the phone and met once, was here for the final inspection with Escala building security. I overheard him tell the security director that Mr. Grey would be hiring his own personal security and once they were on board, Welch would have a meeting with everyone again to go over all the security procedures. I actually heard him, wishing I could filter out some things, tell the security manager that if Mr. Grey didn't hire someone soon he was going to make the decision for him and he'd come home one day to find security sitting here waiting on him.

Miss Baker decided to stay in the great room and had poured herself a glass of wine and sat down close to the fireplace with her back to the front door. I was busy in the kitchen but could hear that she was on her cell phone chatting with a friend. They are laughing and having a good conversation. Going to the utility room I heard her conversation and said a little prayer for her she'd be done before Mr. Grey arrived home.

"I wish I could go out dancing with you too but I'm spending the weekend with my boyfriend."

…

"He'll find out if I tell him I'm sick and go out with you instead, trust me, I know he will."

…

"I miss you too and we really do need a girls weekend..."

…

"Hang on while I put you on speaker, I'm just gonna get another glass of wine...okay, now what were you saying?"

"Come on Sharon, for real, tell me where you are and I'll come pick you up and convince him to let you go out for a while with us."

"No, you don't know my boyfriend. I can't really change the plans we have and go out with you. I have something special for him, we are getting really close and I think I might be able to convince him to go out with me next weekend, if only just for a while, we can meet you, like a double date. I'm really starting to fall for him, and I know he's really into me too."

"Are you in love Sharon Baker? I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Yeah, well wait till you meet him, there's really a lot to love."

I couldn't help but hear the conversation...I was between the utility room and the kitchen and Miss Baker had the phone on speaker. After she poured her second glass of wine she sat down, threw her legs up on the couch, leaned back, and never took the phone off speaker.

Unfortunately for her, Mr. Grey heard the conversation as well. Having her back to the front door and slumped down into the couch, she did not hear or see him come in.

His grey eyes met mine and if looks could kill I know I would have been dead on the spot; the look was not for me, thank goodness, but I was afraid of what was coming for Miss Baker.

Mr. Grey quietly walked to his bedroom and I went to the kitchen. He closed his bedroom door with enough force so that Miss Baker would know he had arrived.

She jumped off the couch as if the sound had been a bullet being shot at her. She grabbed the phone, cut the speaker and told whoever she was talking to she would have to call later. Slamming the phone to the end table she ran to the breakfast bar.

"Mrs. Jones, did Mr. Grey come in while I was on the phone?"

"Yes ma'am, he did. He went into his room and closed the door."

"Oh God, he's gonna kill me."

All the color was gone from her face and fear twisted her eyes. For a moment I felt sorry for her but then again, she willingly walks through this door every Friday night and nothing is stopping her from walking out the door now. Remaining silent and wishing I could excuse myself, I felt it best I stay put until Mr. Grey came out of his room. Not that I wanted to witness what was going to go down between the two of them, although I was sure it would happen upstairs and not here, I decided to stay, more to watch Miss Baker than anything else.

I really thought she might go on upstairs and prepare herself for whatever she thought would be coming but she stayed in the great room waiting, and paced just outside the corridor to the master suite, knowing not to step one foot down that hallway.

In just a few minutes Mr. Grey emerged, shocking me slightly, wearing the jeans that I washed every Monday...and nothing else. I swear there was fire coming out of him but it was ice in his voice when he spoke.

"Playroom, NOW!" His grey eyes are screaming louder than his voice when he glared at Miss Baker.

She turned and walked as fast as she could without running up the stairs and now I knew it was safe for me to leave.

I glanced at Mr. Grey. He was like a caged animal and the control he had over the rage boiling just inside impressed me on some levels and scared me to death on others.

"Goodnight Mrs. Jones, I will see you on Sunday." With all due respect toward me, because I had done nothing wrong, he manages to be polite and bids me farewell before he walked through the front entry to the stairs and closed the door behind him.

There was nothing left for me to do here so as quickly as I could, I got behind my own closed doors. For once, I let my mind wonder what happened in that room upstairs.

I knew he didn't like the flippant way Miss Baker talked about him on the phone, I was pretty sure he didn't want to be called her boyfriend, a little more sure that he was not going anywhere with her next weekend and I was about 99.9% sure he was barely in like with her, much less in love. She was a pass time for him, a physical punching bag, as horrible as that sounds I knew it was true. Obviously by the implements that I straightened every Monday he would "punch" her by spanking, whipping, paddling, or beating her with a cane. Then he would "punch" her sexually, I just did not imagine there was tender romantic making love going on, I imagined it would be more like the animal that walked up those stairs just now. I've seen animals mate...hop on, ejaculate, hop off...the female is basically the receptacle. Believing there is no way either of them is in this without some form of perverted sexual enjoyment...it has to just be the pleasure of the climax. Once that is accomplished, it's just like animals, hop off and walk away.

I have to stop thinking about his. I just do not see any kind of emotional connection between the two of them and I'm afraid the only connection tonight is he is going to beat her half to death. Hoping she is up for the challenge, I convince myself that his promise of everything being consensual is true and I clear my thoughts of what is going on outside the safe haven of my own little world.

Saturday afternoon I've straightened up my apartment and decided to watch a movie. I pop some popcorn and get settled in when I hear a knock at the door and I look up when I see it slowly begin to open.

"Mrs. Jones, may I come in?"

That's a first, normally, he just opens the door and comes in when he wants something.

I turn the TV off and stand.

"Of course, Mr. Grey; is everything all right?"

Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, he's barefoot and his hair looks as if he's tried to pull it out; I imagine his hands have run through it a time or two after last night. Stress does that to him.

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Please," I motion to the chair beside where I was sitting on the couch.

"Can I get you something to drink sir?"

"No, thanks...I really shouldn't bother you on your day off. I'll...I'll go, I can talk to you tomorrow night."

"Mr. Grey, you are welcome here anytime and you are not bothering me. Is something wrong...is there something I can do for you?"

We both sit down and I await for him to speak.

"I just wanted to let you know Miss Baker will no longer be a guest here, I want you to have her clothes and any personal belongings in her room shipped to her home address on Monday. I'll leave the name of a company who can pack and remove everything."

Searching his eyes and expression to decide if he is still angry, well, really trying to determine exactly what mood he is in, I sit quietly allowing him to talk.

Taking a deep breath he leaned up with his elbows on his knees. I swear, he'll be bald by the time he is thirty because when he is really stressed, he runs his fingers through his hair. Just now, he takes both hands and runs them through his hair almost pulling on it as if stretching it out will make him feel better.

He takes another deep breath and sits back again and seems to relax, as if he is with an old friend, I believe he has forgotten where he is.

We sit quietly for a few moments, I nibble on my popcorn and decide to offer him some.

"Popcorn?"

"Oh, what am I doing? I didn't mean to interrupt your day off." He jumps to his feet.

I try to swallow back a chuckle. Sometimes I just love this precious man and wish I could give him a hug and let him know that it's okay to relax, take off the CEO mask, the dominant mask (yes, I have figured that out by now), and tell him that he can totally just be himself here with me in the no judgement Gail Jones zone. I honestly don't think there is anywhere he can do that, even when he is alone with himself. He is so afraid to take down all the facades, so afraid of who he is. If I could just tell him that I see him and that who he is underneath all those layers he puts on is okay with me, he doesn't have to pretend here, this is his home, the one place he can be stripped bare, no pun intended and with all due respect. But there's the problem. I don't think he knows who he is. He takes on a role and performs for whomever he stands in front of...at work, he's CEO...in front of the subs, he's the dom...with that vile Elena Evil Lincoln, he's a wounded, abused little boy who wants to be a man no longer manipulated. I've heard him talk to his family but not having seen him interact with them, I'm sure he plays the role of the son he thinks they want him to be, but I know it's an act. I can't let him retreat because he needs me.

"Could I make dinner for you this evening Mr. Grey?"

"Oh no, no, I can't ask you to do that," he says as he is walking toward the door. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, I'll leave you now."

"It's no trouble; I'm making dinner for myself and I really don't mind cooking for you tonight. Dinner around 7pm?"

"Really?" His eyes speak a thousand words to me now. He is screaming why would you do something for me that you don't have to do...he just does not understand it...but it excites him just as if he were a 5-year-old getting his greatest wish on Christmas morning...why does he feel so unworthy, so undeserving of any kind gesture.

"Yes sir, I would love to."

"Sounds wonderful Mrs. Jones; I'll just leave you until then and see you around 7 for dinner. Thank you."

The rest of the weekend and the next few weeks are quiet. Miss Bakers room cleaned out; Mr. Grey continues to be stressed about work issues and he seemed to regret having to release Miss Baker. I wondered how he would go about acquiring a new weekend guest but I tried not to dwell on that thought knowing he would let me know when to freshen the upstairs bedroom again.

It's a Wednesday evening and he has a meeting and has told me that he will get dinner while he is out and gives me the night off. I take advantage and have an early pajama night after a hot bubble bath and my dinner, curling up with a book. Falling asleep early when I wake, the book is by my side and the light is still on.

Thursday morning I get the announcement. Mr. Grey has a new weekend guest.

I'm serving breakfast and am busy preparing his plate.

"Mrs. Jones, I need you to freshen the guest room upstairs and replenish the toiletries. I have a guest joining me this weekend, Deborah Hudson. I'd like you here Friday evening to meet her if possible."

Looking into his grey eyes, I know on some level he is seeking my approval. His expression in tentative and I know he is trying to gauge my reaction.

"That isn't a problem at all Mr. Grey and I would be honored to meet her on Friday evening. Would you like me to leave a few dishes for you to heat up over the weekend as well?"

"If that wouldn't be too much trouble I would appreciate it."

"Consider it done, sir." He has a genuine smile of appreciation.

I may not condone his weekend behavior, nor do I understand it; but it is my responsibility to take care of him and I plan to carry that out to the fullest.

Miss Hudson arrives on Friday and it's amazing, she and Miss Baker could be twin sisters. First impressions are lasting and mine of her was not as pleasant as I'd hoped. She seemed almost business like, her smiles were few and far between and when I looked into her eyes she seemed hollow, her emotions seemed to be gone or maybe buried so deep you wondered where they are. I showed her around the kitchen and pantry and Mr. Grey asked me to show her upstairs to her bedroom when he received an urgent call he had to take. He told her to wait for him upstairs and I'm sure she knew what that meant.

Miss Hudson is not near as nice to be around as Miss Baker and I got the sense from Mr. Grey over the next few weeks he felt the same way. Miss Baker seemed sweet and I enjoyed her company...Miss Hudson, not so much. I wondered if she was in this just for the perks...these girls endured a lot over the weekend I am sure but Mr. Grey was very generous with them as well. They each received brand new cars, Audi A4's, not as nice as mine I'm happy to point out. He bought them clothes, and he had even bought Miss Baker a nice piece of jewelry, a gold bracelet. I knew that he set up bank accounts for them as well as I overheard Miss Baker speak of this once to a friend, probably another reason she was no longer with him.

I know that Miss Hudson satisfied his "needs" on her weekends here when on Monday's I would go clean the room upstairs and it seemed as if everything in the room was used. It was obvious, but I tried not to imagine what went on. It was not my business and I knew unfortunately, she was just a pass time for him, a panacea of sorts, a stress relief.

We were at the breakfast bar one Monday morning when the next big announcement came.

"I have interviews scheduled this week to hire someone for my personal security. Beats me why anyone cares about me or my business or what I am doing but apparently they do. Seems I am getting increasing threats at work and Welch feels that I have to get someone with me 24/7, you know someone with me when I leave Grey house as well as while I am working. You know how excited I am to have someone looking over my shoulder 24/7."

Thursday morning that week Mr. Grey called to let me know he would be home early but wanted me to hold dinner until late, possibly around 8 and he wanted me prepared for one extra person as he had a meeting scheduled and it may run into dinner, nothing special, it was business he said. I really thought nothing of it.

When Mr. Grey arrived home around 4:30pm he went straight to his study and told me that he was expecting someone at 5pm; he asked me to show them in to his study upon arrival.

I'm surprised hearing the elevator at 5 and not a call from the doorman; whoever it was he had given them the access code. I went to the foyer to meet and greet his guest and to show them in.

What happened next would change me for the rest of my life...

A/N: Next Chapter with a big ole good lookin' guy on the way!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: You all have been awesome and I cherish every single person who has taken the time review, to follow, to make this story a favorite or has just had time to stop by.**

**I feel like this is my first chapter all over again. Please be gentle...It's how I think it would have happened...**

**TAYLOR! ...and over 5000 words!**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James**

**Gail's back story...belongs to my imagination!**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 13**

_When Mr. Grey arrived home around 4:30pm he went straight to his study and told me he was expecting someone at 5pm; he asked me to show them in to his study upon arrival._

_I am surprised hearing the elevator at 5 and not a call from the doorman; whoever it was he had given them the access code. I went to the foyer to meet and greet his guest and to show them in._

_What happened next would change me for the rest of my life..._

Unprepared for what happened next, well to say that would be an understatement.

As the elevator doors opened he was looking down straightening and buttoning his suit coat; I noticed right away how tall, broad-shouldered and how very nice looking he was with his blonde buzz cut. When he looked up and our eyes met I was breathless.

"_...one will join you to complete you..."_

_..._

"_...complete me..."_

…

"_...you will love again..."_

…

"_...love?...again?..."_

Why am I transported back to that night at my mother's house, a few months ago now, I can hear the voice again...no wait...it's the man standing in front of me speaking...the voice I heard that night and the voice in front of me sound exactly the same...and his eyes...oh, I am lost in the depth of his eyes...

"Hello ma'am, Jason Taylor here to see Mr. Grey."

"Yes, Mr. Grey is expecting you."

"Thank you ma'am."

It is not often I'm rendered speechless but the less I say now the better off we are. I turn and walk toward Mr. Grey's study knowing he has followed. Instead of looking around the apartment, I can feel his eyes burning into the back of me.

The door to Mr. Grey's study is open but I knock on the door as he is working and deep in thought.

"Mr. Grey, Mr. Taylor is here to see you." My eyes are anywhere but on our visitor.

"Taylor, have a seat," Mr. Grey says as he stands and motions to one of the leather chairs in front of his desk, always the gentleman.

"Is there anything I can get you Mr. Grey?"

"Not now Mrs. Jones, thank you. Close the door as you leave please."

Dismissed, thankfully not a minute too soon. Chicken stew is simmering, salad and homemade bread is ready; my chicken stew is one of Mr. Grey's favorites and easy to have left over for lunch the next day so I don't mind preparing extra.

Standing at the breakfast bar I try to replay the last few moments. My heart is still racing and I'm trying to work out why.

Five years, well over that now...five long years have gone by since I thought about a man and I was not prepared for another man to catch my eye or make my heart skip a beat. And I feel like I have heard his voice before.

After my husband died I could remember everything about him, his voice, his eyes, his smell, what it felt like when he touched me. Over time those memories have faded. It's been a while since I could 'hear' him but just now when Mr. Taylor spoke his voice pierced my heart and mind in a way that I am still trying to figure out...it was so...familiar.

I know he is here to interview for Mr. Grey's personal 24 hour security and I know that it does not matter what he does, who he is or how he might make me feel, I will under no circumstance jeopardize my employment with Mr. Grey. Even more importantly, I would never do anything to break the trusting relationship that Mr. Grey and I have. Our relationship is unique and I would rather spend the rest of my life working for him single than taking any chance that I do something to make Mr. Grey question his trust in me. Besides, I am sure there is a non-fraternization policy in the contract I signed and I certainly don't want a legal dismal on my résumé and a non-recommendation from an employer.

Proficient at tucking feelings and emotions away, I box up what has happened the last few minutes filing it away in my heart and mind and busy myself in the kitchen.

I hear voices and know the men are heading my way.

Looking up and walking around the breakfast bar, I smile, keeping my eyes focused on Mr. Grey.

"Mrs. Jones, I would like to introduce you to Jason Taylor. Taylor, this is Gail Jones, she is my live in housekeeper and runs everything here at Escala. Everyone here answers to Mrs. Jones, just so you know." Mr. Grey looks at Mr. Taylor and he is dead serious.

"We are going to the security office and then Taylor wants to look around the apartment. I'll show him the office if you could show him the general layout of the apartment, the staff quarters and where the stairs and service elevator are."

"Yes sir, I'll be glad to." I glance from Mr. Grey to Mr. Taylor.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Taylor; just let me know when you are ready and I'll be glad to show you the apartment."

"Just Taylor, ma'am." He stares into my eyes when he speaks but keeps his expression almost blank, serious and I guess professional would be the best description. His eyes reveal a deep and complex man, he seems trained to give nothing away. From his haircut he could have been a military man. He stands tall with his shoulders squared and follows closely behind Mr. Grey without any further comment when they go to the security office. Someone is going to have to correct him on Mr. Grey's comment, he most certainly is not answering to me, Mr. Grey and I will be having words about that.

It's only a few minutes before Mr. Grey leaves the security office and comes to the kitchen.

"May I have dinner in my study? Taylor is going to spend some time in the security office, then look around the apartment. He'll be looking not just at the layout but for weaknesses in security. He may take a while."

"Yes sir, I'll bring it right in."

"Thank you Gail."

Dinner is on a tray and I carry it in to Mr. Grey's study. He has graciously left the door open for me.

"Mr. Grey?" I stop in the doorway, not able to knock with my hands full but not wanting to barge in without announcing myself either.

"Come in."

He stands, closing his laptop and moving it over to the side of his desk and taking the tray from my hands.

"Hmm...Chicken Stew, my favorite. Taylor will eat this and never want to leave."

"Mr. Grey, forgive me for being so forward but your comment earlier..."

"Yes," he interrupts me, "will you sit down, I need to talk to you about that." He closes the door while I take a seat in front of his desk.

"I have offered Taylor the job as my...shadow, I guess. You know how long I have put this off but Welch gave me the ultimatum last week when he came into my office with 3 resumes...and 10 transcripts of threats against my life."

My hand involuntarily goes to my mouth to try to hold the gasp that escapes.

"I'm not telling you this to scare or upset you, but I do want you to know how seriously I take security."

He stops to eat and to allow me to recover.

"Taylor's resume was number one and after reviewing it I didn't even look at the other two. I can tell you he is a former Marine and his experience goes far beyond that. He's the best and I believe that from meeting him for the second time today, I'll be able to work with him and have him behind me every step I take and basically knowing every move I make."

He takes another bite of stew, salad then bread and let's me process what he is saying. Remaining quiet, I listen intently.

He wipes his mouth and leans back in his chair as he continues.

"It's not me I'm worried about...it's you."

"Me!?" I question anxiously before I can stop it from coming out of my mouth. Suddenly I'm afraid that what happened earlier is written all over my face, he knows that I felt something when Mr. Taylor came in today and he is about to give me a warning, or fire me. After all, he is used to being with women and reading them, why did I not think he would be able to read my reaction to a man, even if it was not a reaction to him. All my focus is on keeping my breathing slow, steady and not letting him see me react now. I can't think about Mr. Taylor now, I must focus on Mr Grey and my job and relationship with him that I cherish and don't want to jeopardize at any cost.

He leans up placing his elbows on his desk and his eyes focus on mine.

"Gail, if we were at GEH, I would never say what I am about to say but because we are in my home this is different."

I am trying so hard not to tremble, this job has meant so much to me and Mr. Grey, well, it's hard to put what I feel for him in to words but I feel it is all about to be lost.

Mr. Grey looks at me as if he can see right through me and he continues.

"I hope you know what you mean to me. My life has taken on a new calm these last few months that you have been with me. I have the utmost respect for you, I trust you and I will not jeopardize your employment or our relationship, and I will protect you at all cost."

Wait, did he just quote my own thoughts back to me.

"Taylor is waiting in the security office. I told him that I was having dinner and that I had some things to go over with you and that when we are done I would send you to get him for the tour of the apartment. Before you go I want you to promise me something and I have to trust you to be honest and to tell me the truth."

"What is it Mr. Grey, you know I will do my best to be honest with you."

"If there is anything at all, and I mean even a hint of something that makes you uneasy about Taylor or something you don't like, if you see any red flags, if he makes you uncomfortable in any way...and I mean today, tomorrow, next week or next year...I expect you to come to me immediately. He has a termination at will, no explanation policy in his contract. If he needs to be out the door, he is gone. You may see something that I don't because he will be living in your apartment. Please promise me that you will tell me if there is anything at all that I need to be aware of."

He hesitates and runs his fingers through his hair and I want to respond but I think he has something else to say.

"Please don't leave me Gail, I can't lose you. I can hire more security. I can't replace you."

Wishing I could stop it, a tear from the corner of my eye escapes and I hope he doesn't notice. I thought he was about to fire me and he has just declared the same devotion to me that I feel toward him. I wish there were words to describe our unique relationship. There is nothing romantic between us however our commitment goes beyond the usual employer-employee bond.

I take a deep breath deciding to put it all on the line and take my chance for some free speech.

"Mr. Grey, may I speak freely?"

"You don't ever have to ask me that again, I expect it."

"Okay sir, then here goes. You quoted my own thoughts just now. With all due respect sir, I hope you know what you mean to me. My life has certainly changed these last few months that I have worked with you. I have a purpose and I enjoy taking care of you and your home. I have the utmost respect for you, I trust you and I will not jeopardize my employment here or our relationship, and I, sir, will protect you at all cost. Was that word for word what you said, because that is exactly the way I feel."

I raise an eyebrow and smile at him confidently knowing that he could fire me on the spot because I have been rather bold with him but he said to speak freely.

He looks at me and he does his best to hide the smile on his face.

"We make a pretty good team don't we Mrs. Jones?"

"I believe we do Mr. Grey." We are both smiling now.

"Mr. Grey, I don't want you to worry about me and I promise you that I will always be honest. I hope that Mr. Taylor, um, Taylor, sir...well...I hope that he will be an asset to our team, not a hinderance in any way."

"Thank you Gail, I hope so too. It is going to take some getting use to, but I do, I hope so too."

"I bet he's wondering where I am, I'll go feed him and show him around."

"I will be here working, why don't you both have dinner at the breakfast bar. I know it will be more convenient for you and you can talk before the tour."

"Yes sir." On my feet and almost out the door he speaks one more time.

"Thank you Gail." I stop and look back...Grey eyes meet blue. "I mean it, I really depend on you and I appreciate you more than you know."

"Thank you Mr. Grey." I continue out the door because I know this is hard for him. I am overwhelmed. Mr. Grey always shows me respect and acts like he cares but hearing the words is monumental, he does not say a lot and when he speaks, you can take what he says to the bank, which is why it means so much.

I go to the security office with an entirely different perspective.

Taylor is sitting at the desk studying the security manual from Escala.

He stands as soon as he sees me. "Mrs. Jones."

"Taylor," I greet him with a genuine smile as I will be setting the ground work for our relationship on every level with this conversation.

"I hope you are hungry because I am serving dinner at the breakfast bar if you'll follow me."

"Yes ma'am."

He is around the desk and on my heals, at a safe distance, following me out to the kitchen.

"Have a seat and I'll have it for you in just a minute. And I'll tell you about working for Mr. Grey while you eat if that's okay?"

"Yes, ma'am, anything you can share would be helpful."

"First of all some ground rules that have nothing really do with Mr. Grey, but more with the staff. Please make yourself at home and take your coat off. I believe from what Mr. Grey told me you have the job, the interview is over." I smile at him as he seems to relax just a fraction but does as I ask and removes his suit coat, folds it perfectly laying it on the stool beside him and loosening his tie.

"Next, please call me Gail. Mr. Grey will prefer that you address me as Mrs. Jones and we need to respect that but in the staff quarters or if it is just us, please...just Gail."

"We would normally not eat out here at the breakfast bar but Mr. Grey is having dinner in his study and asked that I serve you here."

"Speaking of 'normal', what is a normal day like for Mr. Grey?" Taylor asks as I sit the bowls of stew, salad and the bread basket before him. "This smells delicious. Thank you." And for the first time, Taylor smiles.

"A normal day begins at 6am with a run. He is normally gone about an hour, getting back in around 7. He's showered and sitting right there where you are for breakfast by 7:30am then he's out the door to work by 8am at the latest."

"Aren't you going to eat Gail, I feel bad eating in front of you?"

"I'll eat once you are taken care of, but thank you," I say with a smile. Our conversation seems to flow easily.

"I have no idea what goes on at Grey House but I do know it has been stressful lately. I hope you can put a stop to some of that. Mr. Grey is normally back here between 5 and 6pm and he works out with a personal trainer for an hour or two Monday through Thursday then has dinner at 7 or 8; he will tell me what time each day to have it ready and he is always on time. Then he works in his study every night after dinner."

"What about the weekends?" Taylor asks as innocently as a child.

I try not to hesitate but I am not going to discuss the weekend guests. "Dinner on Friday evenings can vary and I am off from Friday evening through Sunday afternoons. I normally stay in the staff quarters and I don't come in Mr. Grey's apartment."

Taylor looks at me as if to question what I am saying because he can see that I am not telling him something. I'm impressed, he seems good at reading me already.

I glare at him and he sees he's not going to get answers, he is filing this in his what does Mr. Grey do on the weekend file.

"On Sunday evening, we normally have subs or salads and Mr. Grey and I go over the schedule and menus for the week. I am sure we will want you to be a part of that conversation. Speaking of menu's, I'll need you to tell me if there are any foods you don't like or if you have allergies. I don't want to prepare anything for you that you would not want to eat."

"Gail, as long as it's not moving when you put it on the plate, I can promise you I will eat it. Having someone cook a hot meal for me will be the greatest blessing I have had in a very long time."

My smile is so big it almost hurts. My heart swells and of course my mind wonders why he has not been having hot meals. It is my goal in life to care for others and make no mistake Mr. Grey is my priority but I can certainly let Taylor be my #2.

"You sound like Mr. Grey when he hired me. I don't think he was much for cooking for himself either. And since I love to cook and prepare at least 2 hot meals a day at breakfast and dinner, it looks like you are in luck!"

He turns his eyes up and says under his breath, thank you god...to no one in particular I think.

When Taylor finishes 2 helpings of chicken stew and thanks me again for dinner, we begin the tour of the apartment.

Before we leave the breakfast bar Taylor asks about the piano.

"The piano is beautiful, is it decoration or does Mr. Grey play?"

Remembering that every time I have heard the piano it has been in the wee hours of the night I try as gently as possible to share what life here is really going to be.

"Mr. Grey is an excellent pianist. He plays to relax, unfortunately, it's sometimes very late at night when he is not able to sleep."

Taylor arrived through the front entry, has gone in Mr. Grey's study and the security office so I strategically plan our route around the apartment.

We go down the corridor to Mr. Grey's bedroom.

"This is the only bedroom on this level besides the staff quarters; the guest rooms are upstairs. Mr. Grey's room has a walk in closet, an en suite bath and a balcony." Taylor looks around, opens all the doors and I know he will look in much more detail later.

We walk out and go toward the security office and utility room.

"You have been to the security office. This hallway leads to the service elevator and back corridor that connects to the staff quarters. We can come and go this way without disturbing Mr. Grey or going into the main apartment."

He opens the door that goes out to the service elevator and back corridor but does not stay, he just takes a quick look and shakes his head.

"Is something wrong?" I decide to ask since he is starting to look a little stressed with a furrow in his brow.

"No, just security issues that need addressing. Things the casual observer wouldn't notice but things Mr. Grey is paying me to look for. Just getting a head start on doing my job."

I feel safer already. Deciding to keep the thought to myself, it is no less true.

We reach the back entrance to the staff quarters.

"I hate to take you in the back door, but welcome to your new home."

Opening the door, we walk down the hallway where there are 3 bedrooms, one already taken of course. I open the first door to the left.

"There are 2 open rooms and you are free to choose which one you want and this is the first one."

I step back and let him walk in.

"To say it's a bedroom is inadequate because you have your own sitting area, a small bar and a large en suite bathroom."

We go down the hallway and I open the door to my room.

"This is my room," I point across the hall, "and that is the door to the other bedroom."

I close my door and we walk into the great room and kitchen. The look on his face is the same as mine was; he notices the area is an exact replica of Mr. Grey's apartment, with no expense spared. Having already been here a few months I have taken the liberty of decorating a bit keeping in mind that I would be the only woman living here and that my potential housemates will be security and they would most likely be male.

"Wow."

"My comment exactly the first time Mr. Grey brought me in here. It was pretty shocking but there is 4000 square feet of space here, now you see where some of it is. It's easy to leave the job or be off duty, but still be available at a moments notice if Mr. Grey needs you. Of course that will be much more important for you than it's ever been for me. If we walk through those doors," I point to the double doors on the far wall, "we will be back to Mr. Grey's study and the great room. Do you have any questions before we head back out?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure I will, so if you don't mind, I'll just hold then all till the end of the tour."

"Sure, let's head on out then."

We walk out the double doors and by Mr. Grey's study. He is on the phone so he does not look up or pay us any attention.

I head out toward the foyer.

"You came in this way, from the main entrance, the main elevator comes up from the garage. You have to enter a code so the elevator is secure. These double doors lead upstairs. There are guest rooms however only one of them furnished. One of the rooms is locked." I reach in my pocket and I hand him the key. "There is a storage room and I believe there is an exit to the roof. Just be sure to lock the doors and return the key." I smile and he sees through me again, knowing that there is more to be told and that my lips are sealed.

"I'll be in the kitchen and I believe Mr. Grey will be in his study when you get done."

"Thanks Gail, I won't be long."

"Take all the time you need Taylor." He is a former Marine but I feel as if I'm leading a lamb to the slaughter.

I go to the kitchen knowing this is going to take a while. I have dinner and wait...and wait...and wonder if he has just left without saying goodbye or if he somehow passed by and gone into Mr. Grey's study.

The kitchen is clean, I even have a few things ready for the weekend and I know Mr. Grey is probably going to come ask what is going on before long.

I hear the door that leads upstairs close and Taylor comes walking toward me, his face is cold and hard. I hate the fact that for all he knows, I condone or in some way participate in the perversion he has just discovered. A little part of me worries more that he is fully aware of what the red room is and that he participates in that type of behavior, I hope not.

He stops in front of the breakfast bar and places the key down in front of me.

Trying not to take this out on me, he chooses his words carefully. He is not happy that he is blindsided; well neither was I big guy so get a grip.

"I really hate to ask you because you seem to be a very classy woman but since you gave me the key, I guess I'll start with you. Would you like to tell me what the hell that room is and what goes on in there? And who uses it?"

"Taylor, calm down, it's not as bad as you think." He raises his eyebrows at me like I am about to tell him I am party to all the fun.

"How the hell could it not be bad, who wants to get the shit beat out of them with all the whips and canes and belts while being handcuffed...please tell me it's not you, because if it is I'm out of here now." He has raised his voice and I am sure Mr. Grey heard him.

"Oh God no! I have a strictly professional relationship with Mr. Grey; believe me, the only thing I do in that room is clean."

Taylor looks as if that disgusts him more than anything I have said yet.

"Look, you need to discuss this with Mr. Grey. I can assure you, I am a classy woman and I would not be here if there was something...well, illegal going on. I understand how you feel, trust me I do, but Mr. Grey is a good man. Please just talk to him about this and let him answer any questions you might have, it's really not my place."

He turns to leave the breakfast bar but he's about a minute too late.

"Taylor, is there a problem?" Mr. Grey is out of his study and while I really don't want to witness this I guess it's good I'm here so I can separate them if they come to blows.

"Several Mr. Grey, may I see you in your study?"

"No actually, I'm fine here."

Oh Taylor, I know you are tough, but meet Mr. Tougher.

"Very well, sir. I am going to need several hours to go through the apartment, preferably during the day and with Escala security, you have some serious weak points in security where you could suffer a breach."

"Done, meet them tomorrow, I am the only owner here who has extra security, they will be at your disposal anytime."

"The locked room upstairs sir, I have to know, if there is anything illegal that goes on, anyone who is under age, any use of drugs or anyone who is here against their will, or not free to leave at any time; I will not be a party to any of that and will need to leave now."

If Taylor's stare is cold then Mr. Grey's is sub zero...I think each of them has met their match.

"I can assure you that my weekend guest, who you are free to meet tomorrow evening, Miss Hudson, will be here of her own free will. We have a written contract that covers our consensual relationship and she is free to come and go when she pleases, within the time that I have invited her here. There is a copy of her signed contract on my desk for you."

"Mrs. Jones has met her, and if Miss Hudson is willing you are free to talk to her tomorrow evening but I am not going to make her answer questions for you to ease your mind."

"That isn't necessary sir."

"Good, I'm sure she would have been quite uncomfortable. If you don't have any other questions I believe I am going back to my study; please stop by and I'll give you a copy of Miss Hudson's contract."

Mr. Grey turns and walks away like they were talking about the weather.

"Smug ass hole." Taylor mumbles under his breath.

"I heard that." I say, and I am positive Mr. Grey heard it as well. "Give him a chance Taylor; don't be too quick to judge, for your sake as well as his."

Once Mr. Grey is out of sight, Taylor speaks again.

"You're right, I've just seen a few abused women and children in my time and that room got under my skin. I'm usually a little better at hiding my emotion but that was not what I was expecting when I turned that key. How about warn me next time will ya?"

"No one warned me, I knew there were no words to explain what you could discover on your own."

"Really Taylor, give him a chance, don't judge him by what you saw upstairs because that is not who he is. So, are you officially hired, are you moving in, when do you start...I think I'm the one with all the questions!"

"I am here on a trial basis until I can review all the security but I am staying here. I just need to go down and get my bag."

"Do you know which room you want?"

"I'll take the one closest to the front door, you know, in case I have to make a quick get away." He is grinning now.

"I'm going to make sure everything is suitable for you to move it."

I head toward the staff quarters and Taylor leaves to go get whatever belongings he is bringing up tonight.

Stopping at Mr Grey's study, I just want to say goodnight. He has left the door open, I'm sure to be able to listen in to what is going on.

I don't even have to knock.

"Mrs. Jones, is everything all right?"

"Yes sir, everything is fine."

"What do you think, is Taylor going to fit in?"

"Yes sir, I think he will be okay, like you said, it will take some getting used to, having another person here."

"Okay, well, don't forget who's in charge and that's you Gail." He's grinning as he looks back down to his computer and I just shake my head.

"Good night Mr. Grey."

I have my hands full now...not one, but two men to take care of...and I have never been happier in my life.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry for the delay...I kept editing this chapter and it's still not perfect but didn't want to keep you waiting...**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James**

**Gail's back story...belongs to me!**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 14**

At 7am on Friday morning I normally see Mr. Grey walking out of the elevator after his morning run. Today, his shadow is with him. Taylor exits a step ahead of him in his running attire and walks toward the staff quarters while Mr. Grey heads for his own room.

"I leave for the office at 8," Mr Grey says over his shoulder.

"Yes sir, Mrs. Jones briefed me on your schedule."

Taylor dropped Mr. Grey off at work then spent all day with Escala security and from what I have overheard will be having the rooftop, penthouse and garage security redone. Cameras added or replaced, the types of locks that are used, the way people are admitted to the building and since everyone who walks through the door is a threat, Taylor wants it all redone.

It's Friday and Mr. Grey informs me he'll have dinner at 7 and I know Miss Hudson will arrive at 8. He eats then retreats to his study to wait. Taylor is in the security office and I am finishing up in the kitchen and getting ready to be off for the weekend. I normally wait until Miss Hudson arrives unless Mr. Grey has directed me differently.

I want to see if Taylor needs anything before I leave.

The CCTV's are on in the security office and he is sitting back watching them.

"Does Miss Hudson drive a blue Audi A4?"

"Yes she does," I answer.

"I believe she has just arrived. Does she have the elevator code"?

"She does," I tell him.

"Introduce me." He stands and walks out of the office.

I guess he meets her one way or the other, I'll try to make this as easy as possible.

The elevator door opens and Miss Hudson places her bag at the bottom of the stairs. She sees me and comes in through the foyer, Taylor is standing ever so slightly behind me.

"Miss Hudson, good evening, it's nice to see you again. I'd like to introduce you to Jason Taylor, Mr. Grey's personal security guard. Taylor, this is Mr. Grey's guest, Deborah Hudson."

"Miss Hudson." Taylor speaks and she smiles very briefly.

Mr. Grey is walking into the room and toward Miss Hudson and I know that she is not going to address Taylor.

"Good evening Deborah," Mr Grey says to her very nicely and kisses her on the cheek.

"Good evening Mr. Grey."

"I see that you've met my security, Jason Taylor."

"Yes sir." She cast her head and eyes slightly downward.

Mr. Grey leans in and whispers in her ear as faintly as possible, "Why don't you go on upstairs and I'll be up in 15 minutes."

"Yes sir." She says to Mr. Grey. She looks at me and then steals a glance at Taylor and says, "Please excuse me," and turns and heads up the stairs.

Mr. Grey looks at Taylor. "I run every day at 6am sharp, weekends as well if you care to join me. Until then, I'm not leaving the apartment and I won't be needing your services."

I am out of here.

"Good night Mr. Grey. Have a nice weekend. Taylor." I simply nod at him and I am gone; if they want to have a show down tonight it is going to be without me.

Deciding I need a real night out, I go change clothes and decide on dinner out and maybe a movie; something I do alone all the time. Since I am leaving the apartment and now that Taylor is here, I think it is only right that I tell him I'm leaving.

The double doors outside Mr. Grey's office that we always use is closed and secure. I head around through the back corridor. The utility room and security office are inside the double doors that are tightly closed as well, basically securing Mr. Grey's apartment from the staff quarters. Light is shining brightly from the security office and I stick my head around the corner.

"Mrs. Jones." Taylor immediately stands.

If nothing else, he is a gentleman and is showing me all due respect.

"Taylor. I, um, well, I know you are Mr. Grey's security but I just wanted to tell you, if you were in the staff quarters and wondering, well, I'm going out for the evening and I will be back later...just so you know."

"Yes, ma'am. Will you be alone or is someone picking you up?"

Not sure why he asks, I don't think he really knows why he asks either.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Jones, that really is none of my concern. I do appreciate you letting me know that you'll be out of the building though. When we sit down Sunday evening to discuss the schedule for the week I believe we should talk about protocols for notifications such as what you are doing now."

"Well, Taylor, that sounds very official. For now, I just wanted you to know I'll be out for several hours. Try to behave while I'm gone, will you?"

As I turn and walk out the door, I leave him speechless and I believe his mouth is hanging slightly open.

Having Mr. Grey all CEO and business like is one thing and behaving that way when it is all three of us is another but I must have some fun sometimes...and I can guarantee that Taylor is not going to be having fun with Mr. Grey. So he better take his chances to smile with me when he can.

Arriving home shortly after midnight, I walk down the hallway to the my room and I can see the light is on in the great room.

I glance around the corner and see Taylor sitting there nursing a beer. He is staring at the TV and looks deep in thought.

"Taylor."

Startled, he sits up quickly.

"Mrs. Jones...I mean, Gail...you're late...I uh, I'm sorry, are you okay...I'm glad to see you made it back home safely."

"I'm a big girl Taylor, I can take care of myself. I had dinner and there was a nice jazz trio in the bar...I just sat and listened."

"What you are you still doing up? 6 am comes awfully early if you plan to run, I don't have to get up to prepare breakfast for Mr. Grey but I'll be glad to have something for you when you get back at 7."

"What does Grey eat on the weekends?"

"Miss Hudson will prepare his weekends meals. I leave a few things for them to heat up for lunch and dinner."

Taylor just rolls his eyes and he really does look troubled.

"What's going on, did something happen after I left tonight?"

"No...no...I just...," he shakes his head, "I can't really get what is going on in that room off my mind and it's making me sick to think about it."

I walk in and sit down in the chair.

"I've been in the apartment on the weekend when Mr. Grey has guests. I became acquainted with his previous friend, and prepared dinner for them a few times on Saturday evening. They act almost like a normal couple, well, a little more like business associates if you want to know the truth about it, but his former friend, Miss Baker, we would talk and she was very pleasant to be around. I have not connected with Miss Hudson yet. They walk out of here on Sunday and as far as I know have a smile on their faces. Try not to worry about them, like Mr. Grey said, it's consensual and they can leave at any time."

"I won't be responsible for what will happen if I ever find out he hurts one of them."

Offering a reassuring smile, I stand to leave.

"Good night Taylor."

"Night Gail."

The next few months pass by with basically no event.

Mr. Grey stays extremely busy which means he and Taylor are gone most of the time. They have been away a few weekends so I have been home alone which is not always a bad thing.

I'll never forget a particular Saturday when I was at home and the phone rang with a call from the doorman.

"Mrs. Jones, Mr. Grey's mother is here and wishes to come up."

Oh no...I remember Mr. Grey telling me specifically that I am to let no one in the apartment unless he is at home. He is gone for the weekend but I do not want to begin today breaking his rules.

"Please tell her that Mr. Grey is not at home but I will let him know that she came by."

"She said she is aware he is not at home, she came to see you."

Rules still apply, he said not to let anyone in the apartment. I know he has talked about inviting his family over, he has discussed it with me. I make a decision that will not get me in as much trouble.

"Tell her I will be right down."

Casually dressed in jeans and a sweater, I check the mirror and this will have to do.

Making my way downstairs I wonder what she is doing coming over knowing that Mr. Grey is not here, obviously this is a planned visit on her part.

Not knowing what I am going to face, I step into the spacious lobby to find the doorman speaking to one of the most elegant women I have ever seen.

Sandy hair, blue eyes, well-groomed, simply beautiful. She did not birth Mr. Grey but he looks just like her, barring his cooper locks again her neat sandy hair.

The doorman, professional as always, introduces us as she would have had to identify herself to him.

"Mrs. Jones, this is Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey, Mr. Grey's mother."

She has the sweetest most innocent smile as she reaches out her hand.

"Mrs. Jones, thank you so much for seeing me, there is a couch and chairs over in the corner, would you mind joining me for a moment?"

I take her hand and as we shake I agree to sit with her.

Remembering my NDA and knowing how private Mr. Grey is, I try to select each word carefully.

"Dr. Grey, I'm sorry, you have caught me off guard and Mr. Grey is not home today." I try for innocence.

"Mrs. Jones, I came to see you, I'm aware Christian and Taylor are away. He is so, private, almost to the point of hiding something and we barely see him an hour if he decides to join us for lunch. I just needed to know that he is well and cared for and since he has told me he has a live in housekeeper...well, I thought that woman to woman I could ask you about my son."

I lean up in my chair and begin to stand; I really can't sit here and talk to her like this behind Mr. Grey's back.

She reaches her hand over and places it on my arm before I make it out of the chair and her eyes plead for me to sit and listen. Not making it out of the chair, I sit back and listen.

"Christian has basically cut himself off from his family and I am not coming to ask you the details of his life, I just want to know if he is happy. I mean, I still worry if he eats properly. I am sure he has forbidden you from speaking about him, and I respect his privacy...I just...I worry, that's all. Even if you are not able to say anything, I can. Do you mind?"

Do I continue to sit here and listen...I really think Mr. Grey would be disappointed in me but it would put some of the pieces of the puzzle together and I know that I will have to tell him that she visited, I owe him that much.

"Dr. Grey," she stops me and says, "Mrs. Jones, professionally I go by Dr. Trevelyan, but please feel free to call me Grace."

"Dr. Trevelyan, I'm sure Mr. Grey is not going to be very happy that you are here unannounced and I am positive he would not want me to address you as Grace. I do have to respect Mr. Grey's wishes on his privacy and I'm really uncomfortable listening but if there are things you want to say, I am not going to stop you."

"Thank you Mrs. Jones, thank you so much for seeing me. Christian has had a difficult life and while I know he believes that now he is on his own he is okay, I'm just afraid he's not. He can shut everyone out of his life so easily and believe he is unworthy of anyones time or attention...I know he looks well, but I just want to be sure. You don't know how pleased his father and I were when he told us he hired a live in housekeeper, we so hoped it would be someone who would not only take care of his home, but who would care for and about him as well."

"He speaks of you and how he enjoys your meals and seems like he is getting along, we just could not get him to invite us over so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I believe his brother and sister are going to come barging in at any time...his father is the only one who would never do that. We all love and care about him so much, we just can't always get him to understand that."

"Dr. Trevelyan, I don't believe I would be breaking Mr. Grey's trust to let you know that he is doing very well and seems content with his life now. He is very busy with his work as his company is doing very well, but that is public knowledge you can see in the news . I am here 24/7 to make sure that Mr. Grey is cared for. I know he is eating properly and exercising. Other than that you are going to need to speak to him."

"You have no idea how far he has come since the first time I saw him...he was my patient...the police found him almost starved to death in an apartment with his mother who had been dead about 4 days. He had been beaten, he had fresh burns marks we believe from cigarettes, he was terrified to be touched and he did not speak a word for 2 years."

Tears pool in her eyes and she stares off, trying not to remember, not wanting to see the little boy who is now her son.

"We had to sedate him to examine him and he still screamed...but I was one of the few people he trusted. He would look at me with those grey eyes as if he was pleading with me to save him. I had no idea the horrors the poor child had suffered and what I was really saving him from, I'm sure we still don't know the half of it to this day. All I knew is that as if my life depended on it I had to at least try to save him."

"Having already adopted Elliot a few years earlier we got the process rolling fairly quickly, I called Carrick to tell him I'd found our second son, I know he thought I'd lost my mind. When he came to the hospital, he was certain I'd lost my mind. Elliot really took to Christian right away, the protective big brother, he's still protective, well, at least when he sees Christian or Christian will let him. Elliot loves his little brother."

I can't believe all she has shared and I don't think she realized how much she has talked. Sitting quietly, I have just listened.

"Oh my, I have said way too much. So few people know about Christian, well about his early life, I really only have one friend I talk to about him. I'm not sure she really understands since she doesn't have children but she is a great listener and always seems to know the right thing to say."

"Dr. Trevelyan, everything you say is safe with me, it goes no further. Thank you so much for sharing; I promise to do everything in my power to take care of Mr. Grey."

"Thank you Ms. Jones, just sitting here with you a few minutes today, I can see how much you care for him and I trust you to take care of him for me."

Glad to have met Mr. Grey's mother and connected with a member of the Grey family, that did not lessen the dread I had in telling Mr. Grey about his mothers visit. When he and Taylor arrived home and we sat down that Sunday evening to talk about the week ahead, I told him of her visit. He was not very happy about the invasion into his privacy but he was very pleased with me that I did not invite her up to the apartment. Feeling honesty was best, I told him that she was simply concerned about him and that I told her he was well and healthy and for any details that were not public knowledge from the news, she would have to speak to her son.

In the weeks following his mothers visit his brother Elliott came over on a Friday evening and he and Mr. Grey went out for drinks; his mother and sister Mia came back together to see the downstairs only (Mr. Grey's specific instructions) of the apartment and then his parents came over together on a Sunday evening for his father to see the apartment.

His family is amazing people. He and Mia are deeply in love with each other, he simply adores her. Elliott is a big clown and so easy to love, his mother is an angel...Mr. Carrick Grey on the other hand, he is intense. Mr. Grey is adopted, we all know that, but he looks like his mother and acts like his father. Mr. Carrick Grey is a man of few words and seems that he might have a temper. Being an attorney I feel sure when he needs to say something he can find the words. My Mr. Grey, at least in my eyes is a perfect combination of Mr. Carrick and Mrs. Grace, with a bit of Elliot and Mia thrown in for good measure!

The weekend guest drama seems to continue with Miss Hudson no longer on the list of approved guests and much to mine and certainly to Taylor's surprise, Mr. Grey seems to be offering some explanation.

It's a Sunday evening, Miss Hudson had left earlier in the day, Mr. Grey, Taylor and I are sitting in Mr. Grey's office.

Mr. Grey runs his had through is hair and I wonder what is going on and then he drops the news.

"Miss Hudson is no longer on the approved list of guests. Gail, will you have her things sent to her tomorrow?"

"Yes sir." I respond and Mr. Grey looks from me to Taylor who I realize has a questioning look on his face as if to ask what Mr. Grey did to make her leave.

Mr. Grey continues.

"She did not have any personal items in her room but you can send her all the clothes. We talked last night and decided that we were not compatible and agreed to end the contract. She is not really pleasant to be around, there was no need to prolong the inevitable...so she is gone."

Taylor sits stone cold. He hates this part of Mr. Grey's life style. It would not be long until I would hate it as well.

A few weeks go by and Mr. Grey as finishing dinner one evening when Taylor came out of the security office.

"Mr. Grey, are you expecting anyone this evening?"

"I'm not, why do you ask?"

"A woman, tall, platinum blonde, hair cut in bob, about 35-40; she has entered the code into the elevator to come to the penthouse."

"Damn Elena." He finishes off the wine he was drinking.

"Show her in Taylor."

"Sir, is she on the list of approved guests."

"Yes, Taylor, she is. Elena Lincoln."

"Yes sir."

I really hope they will go to Mr. Grey's study but I know I wouldn't have that kind of luck.

Taylor goes to the foyer and Mr. Grey looks at me with a look of anger, he hates for her to just show up like this, she has done it on more than one occasion and each time he tells her not to do it again.

Taylor has not had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Lincoln. If only I could introduce them...'Taylor, meet satan's twin sister'. Busying myself in the kitchen I pretend not to know what is going on anywhere else in the apartment. Unfortunately I still have to hear it all, even if I don't have to acknowledge her.

Mrs. Lincoln comes in and it's all I can do not to cause bodily harm to her.

"Well hello handsome and who are you?" She is dripping sexual innuendo.

"Security ma'am. You were not a scheduled visitor this evening, we would appreciate that you call in advance instead of showing up unannounced."

"Excuse me?"

Mr. Grey is walking toward them.

"Christian darling, are you going to let your doorman talk to me like that?"

"Elena, what are you doing here? I have asked you not to come over without calling first, now what do you want, I am very busy tonight."

"Well if you must know, I'd like a glass of wine and to sit down before I tell you, I have a nice surprise, a gift for you shall we say."

Taylor has retreated to the security office, I however am still in the kitchen.

"I don't have the time or the patience for your games tonight; what do you have?"

She pulls an envelope out of her bag and hands it to Mr. Grey. He pours the contents out on the table in the great room.

"Who is this?"

"She is a new employee of ours, she has had a background check, signed an NDA, she is clean and she is interested. I have interviewed her, extensively. She is a hair dresser and is also an established submissive. I want to introduce you. Isn't she beautiful, dear? Her name is Vivian. She gave me her list of hard limits and the list is very short, I believe you would enjoy her very much."

This is way too much information for me. Not long after Taylor started he and I had a long discussion one evening. Mr. Grey had given him a copy of Miss Hudson's contract when he started and while he did not disclose their personal information he told me what the contract involved. I had no idea they put in writing what they would and would not do in the red room.

I make it out of apartment and the discussion about "Vivian", however, it isn't the last I hear about her.

Two weeks later Mr. Grey asks me to freshen the bedroom upstairs; I'm sure Taylor already knows he will have a guest on Friday evening. And at 8pm Miss Vivian Goodman arrives. If Miss Baker was pleasant and Miss Hudson was not pleasant then Miss Goodman is a slob. To be a hairdresser, she barely kept herself up but her surroundings were a disaster area. I could not believe that Mr. Grey would tolerate her antics for long and sure enough, within 3 months she was gone.

The next two years brought a lot of interesting events.

Mr. Grey matured, his business grew by leaps and bounds, that increased his stress level and in many ways made him build higher and thicker walls around himself. He was working harder than ever, which meant later nights and more travel.

Taking care of his travel headaches, he bought his own private jet. No longer having to worry about flight schedules did make it better in that he normally left for business on Monday mornings and was back home on Friday nights.

I had not realized when I first came to work for him but he was already well on his way to becoming a pilot. Once he got his license he bought himself a helicopter that he uses for short trips around the state.

After he learned to fly the helicopter he started flying a glider. Taylor says he does this to relax. He sure does have expensive hobbies but when you work as hard as he does, well, he deserves it.

His latest purchase is something that I was able to enjoy and for the first time, I traveled with Mr. Grey and Taylor.

"Gail, I need you to go to Aspen with us when we go on Thursday," Mr. Grey tells me on Tuesday evening when he sits down for dinner.

"Sir?" Wondering why they will need me, I have to ask. "What will we be doing in Aspen?"

"I am buying a house and I need your approval, I want to know what you think. Seriously, dress is casual, you are not going to work. We are just going for the weekend to look at the house. If you will, I mean, I don't want to make you go, I'm asking if you will go with us."

"I would love to go sir."

"Great, we will leave Thursday after breakfast and will return on Sunday."

The house is beautiful and will be a wonderful place to come and relax and to get away from the stress of his job. It's hidden just outside the city and off the road in the woods so privacy is maintained.

On Friday Mr. Grey has to work and I am sitting outside on the deck. I would love to go exploring through the edge of the woods but the last thing I want to do is worry Mr. Grey or Taylor by getting myself lost. A walk should be safe but they need to know where I am.

Taylor is never far from Mr. Grey and I find him outside Mr. Grey's study.

"I'm going for a walk in the back, I just wanted to let you know where I'd be," I tell Taylor and turn to go back out the door.

"Mrs. Jones, if you'll wait I'll go with you, I really would not want you to get lost."

"Really Taylor, I think I can go for a walk along the edge of the woods."

"Will you please wait just a minute?"

Not sure what the issue is, I decide to wait.

Taylor knocks and then steps into Mr. Grey's office for just a few seconds and then is back in the hallway closing the door.

"I'm going with you, I need some fresh air."

"Okay, suit yourself." Why do I feel like he is trying to manage me, or watch what I am doing. For some reason this just perturbs me today.

Walking ahead, I am going to do what I want, just as if I were alone.

There is a chill in the air but I am not the least bit cold, I have on a sweater and being followed has made me a little angry so I am walking faster than I had intended and easily staying warm.

"Gail, wait up," I hear him but I'm not stopping.

"Gail," his voice is closer this time and I know he can easily catch up with me.

I can hear him coming up behind me but I'm not slowing down.

Almost reaching the edge of the woods I feel him grab my right arm. His grip is tight and he holds on until I stop. We have stopped just beside a large aspen tree.

"Hey, what's wrong, why are you running?" His voice is so soft, not his usual professional security Marine don't mess with me voice. Loosening his grip on my arm, but not letting go his other hand reaches up to caress my cheek.

I instinctively turn away from his touch.

I look up and see the disappointment in his eyes and try to convey the regret in mine.

Have I been running? Today I literally almost ran away from him. The tension has grown between us for months. He knows there is no way anything could ever happen between us because we both work for Mr. Grey and it would be very unprofessional.

We joked about it once in the beginning, one night he was being a little flirtatious and knowing I was attracted to him initially, I felt I should nip it in the bud right away.

"Taylor, you better behave before we both get fired," I told him that night after he made one of his sweet little comments. His retort was that Mr. Grey believed in male and female chemistry and would support us 100% and that we could write-up a contract with him to prove it, joking of course about his contract with his weekend guests.

I tell him that I felt sure it is spelled out in both our contracts that we'd be fired for fraternizing so he needed to stop what he was doing; to that point I had never actually reviewed the contracts but felt sure it was covered.

Two day later, when I got back to our quarters that evening, there waiting on the breakfast bar was a copy of mine and Taylor's contract with a note on top.

_Gail,_

_I had my attorney review._

_Neither of our contracts mention fraternizing._

_Will you fraternize with me?_

_Check you_ or no_._

_Yours,_

_Taylor_

I knew he was a handful and that note proved it.

Terrified that Mr. Grey would find out and not see Taylor's humor at all, I decided to answer him in person.

When he came in later that night, I was waiting.

"Taylor, I really don't appreciate you doing this and I want it to stop. I will not do anything to jeopardize my job and this is making me uncomfortable." It killed me to say those words but I knew if he thought I felt threatened he would get the message.

He apologized profusely and for the next 6 months he was nothing but professional. I hated it. Mr. Grey noticed and commented as well.

"Mrs. Jones, if everything okay between you and Taylor?"

"Yes sir; we had a very small misunderstanding in the staff quarters but I set things straight and there has not been any issues since sir."

"Very well, if there is you will let me know and I will handle it, you understand that don't you?"

"Absolutely sir. I'm sure there won't be any more issues but I will let you know."

Things gradually began to relax after about 6 months and not only went back to the way they were over time but have now built to this boiling point. I knew we were going to have to face this, I just didn't imagine it would be like this.

But here we are, in Aspen, at the edge of the woods, and at a crossroads.

He is still holding on to my arm and the hand that stroked my cheek is now resting on my shoulder. His eyes are pleading with me.

It would be so easy, if we were in another time or place to just reach up and touch him...to run my hand along his cheek...to tell him how he makes me feel and how my heart skips a beat when he walks into the room.

It would be so comforting to let him wrap me in his strong arms, to feel the safety and protection that would come from being held against his chest and broad shoulders, to have him pull me in and hold me tight.

It would feel so good to have another person's skin against mine, his cheek pressed against mine, his lips on mine even if for just a moment.

It would be so easy to tell him how much he has grown to mean to me over the last 2 years and that I really could not imagine my life without him in it.

My strength is beginning to fade, I can feel myself becoming weak. I have dreamed of this, longing for his touch, the ache for him being ever-present since the day he walked into my life.

"Taylor..."

**A/N: We are done with focusing on subs except Leila...I just thought that was a big part of Christian's life before Ana... and thanks again to Nuwriter for letting me borrow her submissives from her Fanficton book.**

**Now...on to Taylor and Gail...What does Christian think about that...a few other before Ana details including Leila...and then...Ana...**


	15. Chapter 15

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James**

**Gail (and Taylor's) back story...belongs to me!**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 15**

"Taylor..."

I feel the hand that was on my shoulder slide to the back of my neck and pull me closer as my eyes lock with his. My heart is pounding out of my chest and if his hands weren't on me I believe I might fall to my knees.

First his lips barely touch my forehead...then softly just below each eye, high on my cheekbones...then just below my right ear and I can't help the moan that escapes. I believe I feel a smile on the lips that kiss me under my left ear and now I know I'm panting.

His hand that was holding my forearm has reached down and around my waist to support me lest I surely fall and to pull me even closer into his rock hard chest.

Unable to move except to tremble at his touch, his eyes are back on mine asking for permission to continue. Since I don't say no, he very slowly leans down, never blinking or loosing focus to make sure I stay with him, and he seals our fate and our future.

He gently moves to place each of his very big hands on either side of my head to still me.

"You." He kisses my right cheek.

"Are." He kisses my left cheek.

"Mine." The lips that I have longed for are now on mine and all I can think of is that I am home. To be such a big, hard bodied and strong man, this is the most tender kiss I have ever felt. Chaste at first, he allows me to catch my breath and then he shows me how he really feels about me. Oh God, I am going to come apart just by his kiss. Not realizing until after a few moments when my lips are tingling and I believe I am seeing stars behind my closed eyes, I have wrapped both my arms around his neck, he has both arms around me and truly we could not be closer unless we were inside each other. If our first kiss is like this I really shouldn't let my mind wonder to what our other firsts could be like.

Being the first to pull away, I have to breathe or I'm going to pass out.

"Jason," it comes out as breathless as I feel. He loosens his hold on me and I drop my arms from his neck to hold on to his forearms still not sure I can stand.

"Say that again."

"Huh?" What is he talking about.

"Say it again...my name...say it again."

"Jason?"

His lips are back on mine and his arms are back around me. Allowing him to kiss me again, this time he is passionate and then a little playful.

"I never thought I'd hear you say my name and you just don't know what it does to me," he says are he pulls back and looks deep into my eyes. I get a glimpse of the man with his shield and sword down. It's not too often he is at ease and I know that this will be a rare look into his soul.

Come to think of it, why would he be at ease and why would anyone use his first name. Joining the Marines straight out of high school he would have become "Taylor" right away. All his years in the military, no one would have ever said his name. Over the last 2 years he has shared with me about his marriage and while he loved his wife very much, they really didn't spend a lot of time together, so he would not have heard her call him by his name and then when their troubles started if she used his name, it was with malice and hatred. On his job Taylor is like his call sign, you don't dare even say 'Mr.' in front if it as he so sweetly corrected me when we first met. He has no family and Mr. Grey is not going to use his first name.

For the first time, I reach up to touch his face. He leans in to my hand and closes his eyes. The connection I feel with him takes my breath away, again.

Almost in a whisper he says, "Do you know how long I have wanted you to touch me? Sometimes at night when we sit and watch TV I never hear a word that is said because all I can think about is what your hands would feel like when they reached out for me." He reaches up and places his hand over mine. "Now that you've reached out and touched me, please don't ever let me go." His eyes are still closed and I'm glad because I don't want him to see the tears I am wiping away with my other hand.

Millions of thoughts are running through my mind but first is how are we going to handle this with Mr. Grey.

"Jason, we have to talk about Mr. Grey."

"Don't ruin the moment Gail, please?" He finally opens his eyes and smirks at me.

His hand is still covering mine so he has taken it, kissed it and now holds it as if it is a precious treasure in his own hand.

"Let's take that walk."

Going a little deeper into the woods which is what I wanted to do originally but my mind is no longer on exploring the forest...it is now on exploring the possibilities of a relationship with Jason Taylor, who is my coworker and for all intents and purposes, my house mate.

"Stop Jason. I'm serious. What are we going to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't be coy, you know what I mean."

"We are consenting adults who want to have a relationship and if anyone should understand that he certainly should. It is none of his damn business what we do behind closed doors, they just happen to be his closed doors. As long as our relationship does not affect our job, then it is a non issue. I don't intend to allow it to affect my job and I certainly believe you can remain professional so I just don't see the problem."

"That all sounds wonderful but you and I both know it isn't that simple. We live together."

Taylor breaks out in smile a mile wide. "Yeah, I know, convenient, right?"

Before I know it I have slapped him on the arm. "Will you behave, that is the kind of thing that is going to get us in trouble!" I can't believe it and I am glad we are deep in the woods, I have just raised my voice at him.

"Calm down Gail. You know Grey, he is a straight shooter and the only way he works is 100% full disclosure. We tell him everything...well, not everything but you know what I mean. We tell him that we are in a consensual relationship, it will not affect our jobs and that if he believes it is fraternization then I will resign, simple as that."

"No!" I am shouting again. "You can't resign."

"Okay, then you resign."

"I don't want to resign either, I love my job."

"Well there lies the problem. Grey will have to be okay with it." He stops and grabs me in his arms and his lips are on mine again. "Because I can get another job. I've waited 2 years for you and I'm not giving you up."

We walk back to the house and Mr. Grey is still working away in his study. We are ordering out for dinner, there are several restaurants that deliver but Taylor is going to pick something up.

While he is gone, I decide to speak to Mr. Grey. I have worked for him longer and I believe that jeopardizing my relationship will have more of an impact on him than Taylor's will.

I go to his study door and it is open, Taylor must not have closed it after talking to him about dinner arrangements. About to knock, he looks up before I can say anything.

"Gail, everything all right?" I feel as if he can see straight through me. "I am sorry to bother you sir, but may I have a moment?"

"Always, come in, have a seat." He motions to one of the leather chairs. It didn't take much to set up a command post. Being master of his universe, he must always be accessible and always be in control, nothing that a laptop and cell phone won't afford him no matter where he goes.

"Mr. Grey, I need to talk to you about something." I take a deep breath. "I didn't think this would be so hard."

"What's wrong, you know you can tell me anything." He is getting the look of panic in his eyes. He probably thinks I am going to resign, I have to tell him that's not what the issue is.

"I love my job Mr. Grey, it would suit me to work for you until I retire, many years from now. I have a situation that I am hoping is not going to jeopardize my job." His grey eyes are fixed on mine. He does not do waiting patiently for someone to stumble over their words.

"My contract does not address this so I want to discuss it directly with you. Well, sir...you see, over the last 2 years, well, Taylor and I, we have worked so closely and so well together and uh, we would like to explore the possibilities of having more than a professional working relationship. And um, well, that's what I wanted to ask you about." Oh. My. God. Could I sound more like a stupid teenager. He'll probably fire me now for being so giddy and it will have nothing to do with having a relationship with Taylor. I can't even look up.

When I finally get the courage to look at Mr. Grey he has sat back in his chair and has his hands clasped together, his index fingers steepled and rubbing them back and forth over his lover lip and I swear he looks like he is trying his best to hide a smile.

This is not good, he is going to make me suffer.

So I sit and wait.

Finally he speaks.

"Are you asking me if I object to you and Taylor dating?"

"Yes sir, that is what I am asking."

"Gail, I've told you before what you mean to me. I really depend on you and knowing that you manage everything at home makes running my business so much easier. Taylor on the other hand keeps us all safe. He has proved that he is the best and is indispensable." He pauses. I am afraid of what is coming next. It sounds like if forced, he would choose Taylor over me.

"Have you and Taylor not been dating before now?" Shocked at his question I immediately sound way too defensive.

"No sir, absolutely not. We have not really discussed the possibility in great detail until today...well, we still have not had a long discussion about it. I just need to know if this is going to present a problem for either of our employment status should we decide to see each other socially?"

"What made you decide to discuss it today...while we are here in Aspen?"

Why do I feel like I am talking to my father instead of my employer. I feel anxious and know my face is turning red. I wonder if he is intentionally provoking me or if he has true concern. Taylor said honesty is best so do I tell him we kissed...I can't go there...why did I come in here and do this...I should have let Taylor handle this talk man to man. Looking down at my hands in my lap I can still feel his eyes are on my waiting for an answer.

I shake my head and look up and when I meet his eyes, hesitating..."We kissed for the first time if you must know."

"Well it's about damn time! I didn't know who was going to explode first, you or Taylor or me watching both of you. My god Gail, the sexual tension radiating off the two of you is palpable. Maybe now you can both relax a little...I know I sure will!"

Speechless...I am without words to respond at the moment.

"You and Taylor are single, attractive, adults who spend a lot of time together. I am not surprised at all this has happened. What you do when you are off duty and with whom you do it is not my business. Our situation is different because you do live together, but I don't have a problem with that if you don't. I apologize, I was provoking you a little earlier. I will tell you this. You have to let me know if for some reason things don't work out or the living arrangements become awkward. I promised to always protect you Gail and if it means protecting you from Taylor...well...I will do what I have to do. As long as your job performance is not affected, I will not dictate what goes on in your personal life."

"That will not be an issue Mr. Grey, you do not need to be concerned."

As soon as I speak we realize Taylor has returned from getting dinner and he appears in the doorway.

"Mrs. Jones, if you will excuse us, I need to speak to Taylor; please close the door on your way out and I'll have dinner in 15 minutes."

Standing to leave I am really not certain we have resolved anything. I think he said it's okay for us to see each other.

Fifteen minutes later Mr. Grey is in the dining room and ready for his dinner. Once he settles I'll serve Taylor at the breakfast bar. Mr. Grey is grinning and I can't help but wonder if they have talked.

Not taking any chances, I am not going to talk to Taylor until I am certain we are alone and the dining room is too close. We are not supposed to leave until Sunday but when Mr. Grey finishes his dinner, he asks me to have everything ready to leave in the morning after breakfast. We only have the bare essentials here so that won't be a problem at all.

Saturday morning is bright and sunny, this has been a relaxing few days but now everything has changed with Jason and I declaring our feelings for each other with a few kisses and our walk yesterday. Maybe when we get home we can find time to sit down and talk about how we plan to spend time together when we are not working.

Taylor is driving the rented Audi SUV, I am in the front and Mr. Grey is in the back. We get to the Reno-Tahoe Airport and drive out to the private terminal where Mr. Grey's plane is waiting. We stop and there's a gentleman who opens Mr. Grey's door for him to get out but Jason does not stop the car to come and let me out. My puzzled look tells I have no clue what is going on.

"Pick Up Sunday night at 9pm Taylor?"

"Yes sir, thank you Mr. Grey."

"Enjoy...Gail...Taylor..." he says as he glances at each of us while he climbs out of the SUV and walks toward the tarmac and his boy toy...the GEH plane parked before us.

Taylor turns to pull away from the terminal and back to the driveway around the airport.

Instead of driving to car rental return or to parking it is clear we are leaving the airport all together.

Glancing over I see his face has no expression but I feel safe to speak now.

"Where are we going?"

"Sugar Pine Suite at the Ritz Carlton until tomorrow evening after dinner."

"Why...?" I ask with no clue what is going on.

He passes me a card from the console.

_Taylor and Gail,_

_I think you could use some time away from my watchful eyes._

_Enjoy the Sugar Pine Suite at the Ritz Carlton until Sunday evening when_

_the GEH jet will be waiting._

_You have my blessings on your relationship..._

_as long as you both continue your employment with me!_

_Best wishes._

_Christian Grey_

My mouth is gaping open and I am once again speechless. Taylor of course is grinning from ear to ear.

"You knew about this all morning?" I am finally able to ask as we head back into town.

"Last night when you left to prepare dinner I felt like I was getting a lecture from your father when I sat down and I'm 10 years older than him. I walked in and if looks could kill I'd have been dead on the spot. He told me to sit down that he had some things to say to me and he wanted me to listen before I spoke no matter what he said."

"I looked at him like who the hell do you think you are talking to? I mean I respect Grey but I expect him to show a little respect as well."

"Then he gets up and starts to pace. I thought what has gotten in to him, then thinking maybe you had become upset and he was going to rip me a new one. Well, that's where he started to go but he knew I was not going to sit there quietly and let him tell me how to have a relationship, not knowing what I know about his kinky ass."

"I think when I looked up at him with my eye brow cocked up like who are you to tell me what to do he got my drift right quick and backed down. Then I thought he was gonna tell me HE had the hots for you."

"WHAT?" I gasped. "No he did not Jason Taylor. You better tell me every word you two said." I'm in panic mode now.

"Calm down Gail...he knows you are mine."

"I mean it Jason, tell me what was said right now or stop this car and let me out. You are scaring me."

He reaches over for my hand and at first I jerk it away. He glances over and I see the disappointment and the pleading in his eyes...he is trying to hold me while driving and I can't get used to being about to touch him. He withdraws his hand and I could kick myself. We have to learn how to be with each other. Tentatively, while watching his face, I turn slightly in my seat toward him and reach over to take his hand. Giving me a quick glance, he takes my hand, pulls it to his lips and places a gentle kiss on the back then entwined his fingers into mine.

"I'm sorry." My emotions are about to get the best of me...Jason's touch has my heart racing in one direction and my worry about his and Mr. Grey's conversation has me worried on a whole different level. I have to know what Mr. Grey said.

"Please just tell me what you talked about, my imagination is running wild and I'd rather know the truth, from this card," I pick up the card Mr. Grey has hand written and given to us, "we obviously have his blessing but how did we get from were you started this story to here."

Picking my hand up he kisses it again.

"One of the many things I learned last night is that Mr. Grey thinks the world of you and he is very protective of you. The bottom line is he wants to make sure my intentions are honorable and he wants me to know that if I hurt you all bets are off and my ass is his. I think he'd kill for you Gail, I really do. I mean, I think he respects me and the job I do, he told me that in not so many words and I believe he wants us both to continue to work for him and to have a romantic relationship. As long as we keep it professional on the job, he has no problem. And to prove it, he gave us the rest of the weekend in the most exclusive suite in Tahoe."

Picking the card up I read, and re-read it...

"I'm not sure I am comfortable with this."

"It's a suite the size of a house, with two large bedrooms each with its own private bath. He didn't give this to us to stay in bed the rest of the weekend...unless that's what you want, I'll be glad to accommodate your needs Mrs. Jones; he just wanted us to have some time together."

Shaking my head, I look up to see that we have slowed and are turning in to the beautiful Ritz Carlton. Fear of the unknown is slowly creeping into my mind and I really do not like this surprise that has been sprung on me without my having any say so whatsoever. While it sounds like a great idea to spend the next 36 hours hold up in a fancy suite with this gorgeous man sitting beside me who I am now free to share my feelings with, I am just not sure this is how I would have planned our first...date. Not sure what his expectations are, I now wonder if he agreed to this with Mr. Grey. I suddenly feel angry at both of them.

The valet has opened my door as we have come to a stop and I feel as if I don't get out of the car and get some fresh air I might scream. Suddenly feeling trapped into doing something against my will, I feel like I want to run away. How dare either of them be so presumptuous as to book a hotel suite for me and expect me to just agree to stay. I think I understand how Mr. Grey weekend guests must feel, being told what to do. My heart is pounding and I feel as if I can't breathe. Maybe it's because we already live together in the same house, maybe I have given off a vibe that I will be easy, maybe for Mr. Grey because he is accustomed to women doing as he tells them and maybe for Jason he thinks because we have flirted with each other for the better part of a year it's all over but falling into bed with me...well I have news for the both of them, they are both dead wrong. I will be treated like a lady, I will not be told what to do, nor will I be told when and where to do it by Jason Taylor or by the all-powerful Christian Grey.

Not waiting for Jason to sort out the car with the valet or to get our luggage I walk in and go straight to the concierge. I ask if there are any rooms available for this evening and there are so I book myself one of the Mountain View Junior Suites. By the time Jason arrives I have it arranged. He only has to pick up the key to his suite as Mr. Grey has made arrangements for everything.

Feeling slightly guilty, I am not backing down on this but I know I have to offer an explanation.

"Gail, what are you doing?"

"Getting my own room. I really don't like being told what to do and even though I may seem like a push over, I'd like to be treated like a lady. I'd like to be asked out on a date and be able to say yes or no, not just be taken up to a room where there are unknown expectations and I have no control. I'm sure you boys didn't mean to but I find it offensive that either of you would presume that I would want to spend the weekend alone in a hotel room with a man who I have only shared a kiss. So if you don't mind, I think I'll go to my room. Feel free to call me once you get settled in and maybe we can make arrangements to talk." I ask the bellman to bring my luggage and I head to my room.

Knowing that Jason will be reporting to Mr. Grey, I hate to disappoint either of them but I will not be handled. I don't want to spend all day sitting in a room in a hotel alone either. Why couldn't they just have spoken to me about this before making these kinds of decisions for me.

I'm sitting on the couch looking at the view of the mountains, and it is breathtaking. I guess I could arrange a spa treatment or just go soak in the huge tub...just sitting alone though is actually very relaxing.

Awakening to a knock at the door, I must have dozed off. Answering I find the doorman with a delivery.

"Mrs. Jones, I have a delivery for you. Will you sign please?"

I sign for the long white box that is heavy and then move to the small dining table. Removing the card I begin to read.

_Dear Gail,_

_There are many things I want to do with you in my life time, _

_pressure~hurt~embarrass you..._

_those things are not on my list. _

_If you can forgive me for not considering your feelings, _

_I would be honored to invite you to join me for lunch. _

_I seem to have a large dining room and I have lunch being catered at 1pm _

_with strawberries and champagne at 12:30pm. _

_Here is the key to my suite, 3305~you have the key to my heart. _

_I'll be waiting for you...as long as it takes. _

_Yours always,_

_Jason_

Opening the box I find 2 dozen long stem red roses. The symbol of love. It's noon so I have 30 minutes to decide what to do. I find a vase and place the flowers. What am I going to do with this sweet man. The en suite phone rings...does he not have any patience.

"Hello..." I say in my sweet voice.

"Mrs. Jones, Christian Grey. It seems I owe you an apology."

"Mr. Grey."

"Yes, well, it seems I have assumed that I knew what was best for you when clearing I did not. I hope you will forgive me for interfering. I'll be glad to send the jet back for you now if you wish."

"No sir, that won't be necessary. Tomorrow evening will be fine. And thank you sir for the gesture and I'm sorry, these last 2 days have overwhelmed me."

"Well, I won't keep you. Forgive me Gail, I clearly don't know anything about relationships, I was only trying to help; I won't interfere again. Goodbye."

"Goodbye..."

Placing the phone down, I just want to cry. What am I going to do with these two. Mr. Grey's feelings are hurt. Taylor is waiting on me in a suite. How can I go from all alone to having these two men to deal with. I almost think Mr. Grey is jealous. I have given him my undivided attention for the last 2 plus years...that's what it is...now he's worried that I won't be able to devote enough time to him if my focus is somewhere else. I have hurt his feelings by developing feelings for Jason. I know he will never admit it but that must be why he feels like he has to be in control. Bless him...but he is not going to be able to control me like that. Maybe I do need to call him to come get me...he does not have a sub now, the last one about did him in. He'll be sitting there all day worrying and wondering what is going on and I won't be able to face him Monday morning. Why couldn't I just keep my feelings to myself and let everything stay the same.

I can't let this sit the rest of the weekend, he will be crazy by tomorrow. Reaching for my bag I grab my cell and press #1. He answer on the first ring.

"Gail, are you okay?"

"Mr. Grey, yes sir, I am fine. I just had to talk to you again. There are things that I need to discuss and felt it couldn't wait."

"What things?"

"Mr. Grey, I appreciate what you and Taylor did for me, I really do, I just wanted to have a say and not have everything planned for me, I wanted to be asked out on a date and have some control. I felt like I was being put in a room with no control. It was me though, it was not what you did, that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me and I appreciate it more than you can imagine. If Taylor and I were further along in our relationship it might have been more appropriate but not at this pint. I want to apologize because I feel as if I hurt you when I did not accept your gift and that was not my intention, it was an amazing gesture and I want to thank you."

"I'm fine Gail, my main concern is that you are okay."

"...and my main concern if for you Mr. Grey. And as long as we are okay then everything else will work its way out. And I am fine too sir."

"Good. Then I hope you can enjoy the rest of your day...and I really mean that."

"Thank you sir, Taylor and I are going to have lunch together. We will see you tomorrow evening sir. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Gail."

Crisis number one resolved...now how to deal with crisis number 2. It's about 12:15pm so I still have 15 minutes!

I freshen up and head out to have lunch...and try to smooth over the other set of hurt feelings.

Jason opens the door and the first thing I see is I was silly to get another room as this one is huge, larger than our apartment in Seattle, I could have easily hidden from him here. Feeling his apprehension, I can only think of one way to help him relax and understand that we are not having our first fight.

I place my bag down and he hands me a glass of champagne and a small plate of strawberries. Taking a sip of my drink I place it all down on the bar beside us. I walk closer to his hard body and reach out to caress his cheek. He closes his eyes and leans into my hand. Reaching around to his neck I pull gently and stand on my tiptoes until I can kiss his cheek. His has his hands of either side of my waist as if to hold me to the floor so I won't move.

We stand staring at each other for a moment knowing I am the one holding all the cards.

"Jason, I'm sorry for earlier."

"Shh...that's not necessary. You were absolutely correct; I had no regard for your feelings at all."

"It's not that"

"Yes it is, you said how you feel, don't take it back now, it makes perfect sense. Now let's start over." He takes my hand and kisses it. "Gail, would you do me the honor of joining me for lunch, on our very first date?"

"I would be honored." We both smile then sit down for a delicious lunch and we have what will be the first date of what we hope are many more to come.

We talk non stop and for the first time I hear stories about the real Jason Taylor. Stories of the little boy growing up in Northern California, parents divorced, only child, dad missing from his life, mom worked 2 jobs, he had to take care of himself most of his life. He joined the Marines to get out-of-town and to feel a sense of belonging and then found himself in the Middle East belonging to something he didn't believe in. He served and listened and learned and was good at what he did. Having been alone most of his life he could keep his mouth closed and listen, he did and he caught a lot of things most people missed. He saw things that people overlooked. He was chosen for special forces and that was as much as he would tell me, saying even if he could talk about it I would not want to know.

He met his wife through the wife of one of his marine brothers. Who wouldn't fall in move with him on his looks alone. They didn't date much, because he was gone a lot but after being "together" for a year, they were engaged and then married. He said he loved her and I can see he did because of the pain and regret in his eyes when he talks about her. We agreed to be honest with each other and as much as I hated to hear it he said their physical relationship is what kept them together the first few years...that and her pride in showing off a Marine on her arm where ever she went. Not having a proud bone in his body and not liking to draw attention to himself, he said he quickly grew tired of her trying to parade him around as her golden boy. When he got out of the Marines, she seemed disappointed in him. He said he had a great job however work was very demanding. Then the time came when it seemed like the time in their marriage to have a baby...not in their life per se...but they had been married long enough, it was time for a baby.

When Jason talks about his daughter Sophie he becomes a different person. He has a light in his eyes I have never seen before. Even though she is only 5 his wife uses her like a pawn to manipulate him. Because of his job with Mr. Grey he does not have routine visitation. He said he will call his wife when he finds he has time off and ask to see her and there is always some excuse why he can't come over. It looks like it is killing him to say that he never gets to see her, thinking back to his own childhood when his father was gone.

"One day," he says, "one day she will know how much I love her." He tells me what Mr. Grey has done for her, he pays for her private school in addition to Taylor's salary. He said he believes Mr. Grey did it in the beginning as incentive for him to stay employed. He knows Taylor would stay now anyway but he continues to pay, telling Taylor it is something he wants to do for him.

He asks me about my husband and I tell him about Tim. I try to be honest but I don't want him to think there are unrealistic expectations or that there is no way he could ever measure up. I told him that Tim was perfect, that we had a beautiful relationship and that until 2 year ago I never thought I would ever think about another man, much less consider dating or the possibility of falling in love.

Jason is listening intently and when I tell him this he looks at me questioning and says, "What happened 2 years ago to make you change your mind?"

Bless him he has no clue.

"Well, I was minding me own business one day and this tall blonde guy walks up and just takes my breath away."

"Oh...did you two go out?"

Is he having a blonde moment?

"Are you kidding me right now?" I ask.

"Kidding you about what?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"What did I do?"

Hours ago we had moved to the sofa and we are sitting facing each other talking.

"You, Jason Taylor." I lean over to him and I actually get on my knees beside him so I am looking directly into his eyes. He sits up a little straighter. Cupping his precious face in my hands to hold it right in front of mine.

"You"...and I kiss his right cheek...

"Take"...and I his left cheek...

"My"...and I kiss his forehead..

"Breath"...and I kiss the end of his nose...

"Away"...and I look into those big blue eyes and lean forward and place my lips on his...and I am breathless...again.

**A/N: More...next Chapter**


	16. Chapter 16

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James**

**Gail's back story...belongs to me!**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 16**

"_You"...and I kiss his right cheek..._

_"Take"...and I his left cheek..._

"_My"...and I kiss his forehead.._

"_Breath"...and I kiss the end of his nose..._

"_Away"...and I look into those big blue eyes and lean forward and place my lips on his...and I am breathless...again._

Before I know it Jason wraps me in his arms and pulls me to him, cradling me to his chest, leaning back on the couch and I am in his lap...and we kiss...and kiss and kiss...I kiss him, he kisses me...lips, cheeks, necks, ears...some soft and sweet...some a little playful...and then a few so passionate we are both panting and breathless. Our hands caressing each others face, neck, shoulders...rubbing backs and up and down arms...my hands resting on his chest...and so far, his hands maintain his status as a gentleman.

My heart and every other part of my body is screaming for me to give myself over to this man...but my mind it telling me to maintain my self-respect. This is the first day we have spent together. Our chemistry is undeniable...I know my skin is flushed...I am in his lap and I am trying to keep myself positioned as to not make him uncomfortable, because I can feel his body's reaction to me.

I lay my head on his shoulder and he holds me close to his chest and if the world could stop spinning this would be paradise. Sitting like this for several minutes, Jason is the first to speak.

"Gail, I don't want you to move but can we talk?"

Looking up, I'm not sure I have ever realized how crystal clear his eyes are. Blue to blue, his piercing mine, I see into his soul. The one thing we did accomplish today is that all the walls, all the barriers are down, it's really amazing we can be real with each other. We have shared so much today. We have lived together two years. Just like my relationship with Mr. Grey is unique, my relationship with Jason is unique as well. Knowing each other very well, it's as if the pieces of our relationship have been put together out of order.

Comfortable in his arms, all I can manage now is to say, "Hmm."

Jason smiles down at me, kisses me on the forehead and says, "Okay, well just let me talk then."

"First I just want to say once more how sorry I am about earlier and letting Mr. Grey book the suite without speaking to you. I know we both apologized and you and Mr. Grey have spoken, because I have spoken to him as well, I just want you to know nothing like that will happen again."

He reaches down and kisses the top of my head as I continue to lay on his shoulder. I snuggle in closer to let him know all is forgiven.

"When I stepped out of the elevator two years ago I immediately thought you were one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. It only took being around you just a few minutes to realize the beauty came from the inside out. I feel like we already know each other so well and I know we are in an unusual situation because we work so closely together but more importantly because we live together. The last thing I want to do it to put you in an awkward situation, so I am going to need for you to help me here. I need you to talk to me and be honest. You know I have already really screwed up and I don't want to do that again. I don't want to take you or our relationship for granted because of our unique situation, but on the other hand, I can't help that we live together, that it's just too easy to talk to you and I don't have to go somewhere to pick you up. Please don't ever think that because we live together that I assume anything about you or about us. But remember too that I failed at the only relationship I have ever been in and I don't want to make any more mistakes."

I sit up now, not wanting to hear any more of this.

"Jason, stop it." I move over out of his lap and sit beside him; knowing I'll think better with a little distance between us.

"We are together in this. And we have been from the first minute. From the time you stepped out of the elevator I have been at war with my inner self not to act on my feelings for you. I was speechless and my heart was beating out of my chest when you walked into the apartment and into my life that afternoon. I felt an immediate connection with you and now that I have touched you...and kissed you...I know the connection is real. You don't think I am able to make you feel uncomfortable as well? Are you going to be honest with me? What if I get too close, too fast and you are the one feeling awkward? Then what? You and Mr. Grey are worrying over me and no one is considering that I might be the one causing the trouble, the one who will make everyone feel awkward, not the other way around."

Reaching over Jason takes my hands in his and brings them up and places sweet gentles kisses on the back of each one.

"I promise to take this one day at a time and always be honest, and to never take you or our unique circumstances for granted. Are you willing to promise the same thing?"

"I promise to take this one day at a time and always be honest, and to never take you or our unique circumstances for granted," and then I take his hands and turn them over, bring them to my lips and kiss each of them and then pull them in to my chest and hug them. When I let go I look up; "Very well spoken Jason Taylor, thank you."

"So," Jason asks, "what would you like to do the rest of the afternoon? We can relax here or go into town and walk around but if I may I would like to ask you to join me for dinner this evening on our second date."

"I would love to join you for dinner, thank you...and for the rest of the afternoon, I'd love to go for a walk, you know we don't get much time outside."

"It just so happens the Tahoe National Forest is right out our back door and there are trails so we can walk as far as you want. I'll just grab my jacket and we'll need to stop and get yours."

"Could you give me about 15 minutes and them come to my room, it's 2101."

"Sure, I'll see you in a few minutes."

Walking back to my suite I can't believe all that has happened. I can't help but smile because I am so happy. I want to enjoy the rest of the afternoon, tonight and tomorrow before we get back to reality but I'm not sure I'm ready to take our relationship to the next level...once I sleep with him everything changes. My body is aching for his touch and for my mind to give in, but I'm not sure my heart is ready. My mother taught me from the time I was very young how precious I am to God, to her and that I would one day be to my husband. Once I was able to understand, she taught me what a precious gift my body is and that once I give myself away, there is no taking it back. Tim is the only man who has ever had any part of my body. I physically want Jason and I know he wants me but I just can't sleep with him on our second date and after spending one day together...I just can't. I don't want to disappoint him or lead him on so I think I want to tell him, I am going to need some time to get there.

In my room I freshen up a little, get my jacket and a scarf and I'm daydreaming about clear blue eyes when I hear a knock at the door. Grabbing my key, I'm not going to invite him in, I'm ready to go on our walk.

Opening the door, there stands my mountain man. Jacket, his own scarf and boots on; I love a man confident enough is his masculinity to wear a scarf. He is sex on legs, so I take a deep breath and close the door behind me.

"Hey good lookin'."

"Hey beautiful." He helps me on with my jacket.

We get outside and casually make our way around to the trails. It's wide and marked, clear and looks easy to manage at least at the start, never the less, Jason reaches over and takes my hand. We aren't walking for exercise or adventure, but just to be together. Giving his hand a squeeze and looking up with a smile, I allow him to pull me a little closer to his body as well. Most people hike earlier in the day so we are alone as far as we can see.

"Jason, thanks for walking with me."

"My pleasure, it's beautiful out here. Sometimes I forget what it's like to get outside and relax, well, sometimes I forget what it's like to relax in general."

We walk a little farther down the path.

"I want to say something, in the spirit of our earlier agreement for honesty with each other." It has been so easy to talk to him, I hope this will go well.

"Sure, you can say or tell me anything."

I'm still holding his hand so I pull gently and bring him to a stop.

"I'm looking forward to dinner tonight and spending the day together tomorrow before we have to go back to reality. My body is screaming at me, trust me when I say, it is literally on fire for you. But my head and my heart are telling me that it would not be very lady like to sleep with you on the day of our first and second date. I didn't want to lead you on or let you expect something all evening during dinner that I knew was not going to happen."

Jason puts his hands on my shoulders and reaches down and kisses me on the forehead.

"Mrs. Jones, I have the utmost respect for you...this is Taylor, not Grey. If and when I take you to my bed or you invite me in to yours, it will be for me to worship and cherish you from your head to your toes. You will feel cared for and respected...and loved, because we will be making love. I have no predetermined expectations Gail; pardon me for sounding like our boss but I didn't want to stay here to get you in bed; I just hoped we could spend time together and that is what we are doing. Please just enjoy the moment, that's all I want, okay? No pressure, no expectations, just be with me...that's it."

"Thank you Jason." I reach around his waist and hug him tight; he pulls me in to his chest wrapping his arms about my shoulders and back.

We just stand like this for what seems like several minutes. It's getting late because the sun is about gone, but as I glance up, I notice it's because of clouds, not that the sun has gone down. Warm in Jason's embrace, the wind has picked up a little and there is more of a chill in the air.

I left go of the hug but Jason keeps his arm around my shoulder and I keep my arm around his waist. Looking at the path, I shiver with a gust of wind.

"Let's head on back Gail, it's getting cold out here." Jason turns us back toward the hotel. He is holding me close as we make our way back.

We are about to step out of the forest and in to the clearing where we can see the resort.

"Jason look." Pointing up in the air, we both glance toward the sky. Beautiful big fat white flakes are falling all around us.

"It's snowing!" I don't know why this excites me so much. I guess because in Seattle we see rain and fog and ice but here we are in the mountains at this beautiful resort stepping out of the forest and seeing the first snow of the season begin to fall. How romantic!

"Yes it is snowing." He grins and looks down at me and I can't help myself. I reach up and cup his face in my hands. He leans into my touch for a moment and I can feel our connection to my core. I pull gently letting him know what I want and he is more than willing to meet me, he leans down and I reach up to make contact with him.

Once again, we kiss, first gently and our lips closed; then he pulls me tighter and my breathing increases. He pulls my bottom lip between his teeth and I can feel it in the pit of my stomach. I hold him tighter and as he releasees my lip I open my mouth and our tongues caress and explore. And it continues to snow.

When I am feeling as if I'll pass out if I don't breathe, I give him kisses on both sides of his mouth and pull back to look in his eyes. He is grinning, his eyes are closed. I just stare at him and he finally barely opens one eye to see me grinning back at him.

"I was hoping I was not going to have to come down off that high Mrs. Jones."

"Well MR. Taylor, unless you want to be a snowman, we might want to head in doors."

"Point well made Mrs. Jones. Let's go."

We head back in doors, both cold and covered in snow. They have a fire roaring in the lobby and hot cocoa to warm our insides. The inside doorman helps us with our coats and we help ourselves to cocoa and walk over to the fire. This place really is beautiful, obviously not somewhere I would probably book for myself to stay. I have no idea what Jason has in mind for dinner.

"Jason how do I need to dress for dinner? I'm not prepared for anything too dressy."

"Casual dressy is fine, not evening dressy...does that make sense? I'm wearing black pants and a jacket but no tie, but you don't need to wear a dress, how about that?"

"I think I have it Jason. What time?"

"I'll pick you up at 7?"

"Sounds good, will you walk me up to my room now?"

"Yes ma'am."

Jason and I have dinner in a wonderful little restaurant in town, we enjoy a bottle of wine and talk and talk and talk. The conversation flows so easily between us. We arrive back at the hotel and he walks me to my door again and we kiss goodnight. Sweet and innocent.

Taking advantage of the large garden tub I start the water, pour in the bath salts provided and undress. Sinking down into the tub and laying back, whatever stress was in me melts away. There is a skylight and I see there is a little bank of snow. It makes me smile and think of Jason. My precious Jason. It feels like we have been together for a long time because we know each other so well. I let my mind wonder what the future could hold for us. His time dictated by Mr. Grey's schedule. Depending on the weekend schedule I think we could find some time to be together. We both want this, we have Mr. Grey's blessing, we will make this work.

I crawl in to bed still thinking about the future, a little farther down the road. I can't even consider the "m" word and I'm sure after Jason's divorce and with Sophie he wouldn't either. What am I thinking, are we even in love? Who am I kidding, I roll over, hug my pillow, could I really ever love another man...do I already love another man?

"_...one will join you to complete you..."_

"_...you will love again..."_

"_I love you Gail..."_

"I love you...I love you, too Jason..."

Sitting straight up in the bed I look around to see if I'm alone, still hugging my pillow.

"Jason?" I reach over turning the light on, the clock is blinking 4:54 am.

I can hear the voice as clear as if it is still being spoken. Getting out of bed, I walk out into the living area, and I'm all alone.

It's as if I have had a conversation. I am wide awake when only a moment ago I was sound asleep. I had the same...dream...or whatever it is that I have had twice before, once when I was asleep and once when I was awake. The first time asleep at my mothers and it was Tim's voice. Jason's voice clearly spoke the second time when he walked off the elevator and I heard the words again. Not really sure of anything just now except the ending was different...I clearly heard Jason tell me he loved me and I said the same back to him.

Sitting down on the side of the bed, I replay the words over and over. I contemplate going back to bed but it's no use.

Putting my robe on I get juice out of the micro-fridge and sit on the couch.

In the last 3 days my life has completely changed, I have been given a second chance at love, and I fully intend to take it.

Jason and I enjoy a leisurely Sunday and head back to Seattle and reality late Sunday night.

When we walk in the apartment the door that leads to Mr. Grey's study is open and his light is on. It's midnight, of course he is up working. I look at Jason. "I got this."

Walking out the door, I meet Mr. Grey coming out of the door to his study.

"Mrs. Jones...I thought I heard you come in. I just want to be sure you made it home."

"Yes sir, we are back. Thank you again for everything."

"Taylor."

Glancing over my shoulder I see Jason standing behind me.

"Sir."

"Well, I'll see you both in the morning, 6am run as usual," he nods to Jason; "Gail, I'll see you at breakfast. Goodnight."

He turns and walks off. We turn and go back to the staff quarters and close the door behind us. You know I never considered locking this door but now that might be something to consider.

**A/N: More Gail and Taylor next chapter.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: It's time to say thank you again to you wonderful people who follow this story, every review is a gift and I cherish, read and re-read each one. Sometimes it feels as if you are in my head...one reviewer said they thought I had Christian and Taylor in a bad relationship...well that was because they had not really bonded yet...But I was writing about that and you'll read it below. People are continuing to yell for Ana...she's close but still a few chapters away...4 years with Gail and Taylor before Miss Steele, we still have 2 years to go! Please continue to read, review, favorite and follow; you don't know how much it means to me. Thank you again from the depths of my heart.**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James**

**Gail's back story...belongs to me!**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 17**

Time seems to fly by. Mr Grey's success level knows no bounds. He continues to buy, sell, manage, merge, acquire, travel and is now a billionaire and one of the wealthiest men in the US. That has brought multiple headaches for us all. The paparazzi want to know everything and apparently a picture is worth a bundle so they hang out now not only at Grey House, but occasionally here at Escala.

His companies are international so he and Jason are gone more and more. Mr Grey doesn't really like it any more than Jason does but it is a tolerated necessary evil for the growth of the business. They do try to avoid it but sometimes it just can't be helped. Of course Mr. Grey doesn't feel any allegiance to his family and until recently, it would not have mattered to me or Jason but now that our relationship is growing we try to spend at least one night during the week and then either Friday or Saturday evening together and if we are really lucky, we get to spend time during the day on Saturday or Sunday.

Of course, Dr. Trevelyan, calls and encourages Mr. Grey to spend time with the family but for some reason he acts sometimes as if it is almost painful for him. His sister Mia is talking about going to Paris to study French Cuisine I believe and that is about to drive him over the edge. He loves her so much and I don't know what he will do if she leaves the country. His older brother Elliott is moving into the city and getting an apartment and I am hoping they might spend some more time together, occasionally he will convince Mr. Grey to go out for drinks, I think it's usually a guilt trip that gets to him. Elliott is so sweet and funny and easy-going, the complete opposite of Mr. Grey; he persists and is not discouraged when Mr. Grey turns him down even though I know he is hurt at times.

Mine and Mr. Grey's relationship has always been close. When he hired Jason, they were all business. It seemed to me as if the fewer words that passed between them the better they got along but they seemed to know how to understand each other. When Jason and I began to see each other, Mr. Grey gave us his blessing although I truly believe in my heart, while there is not the first thing romantic between us, he was slightly jealous. Time passed and once he realized that nothing was going to change between him and me, that feeling passed. Jason said he really could not tell that anything changed between he and Mr. Grey when we started dating but that's just men for you. Well everything changed recently, solidifying the foundation of a relationship that would be essential to make it through what the future would hold.

Mr. Grey and Jason left one cool crisp morning right on time at 6am for their run; I was already in the kitchen because I thought it was time for another batch of my muffins. They were going in the oven just as Jason and Mr. Grey went out the door.

I went about my morning routine, going to our quarters to straighten up while they were out, I made Mr. Grey's bed and freshened his bathroom and had myself a cup of coffee. The muffins came out of the oven just before 7am and I went ahead and started a fresh pot of coffee.

7am came and went and Jason and Mr. Grey did not return. I didn't really think much of it, until about 7:15am, and I thought maybe they just ran a longer route than normal, although all this time, no matter what, they were always back within an hour, give or take 5 minutes at the most. Mr. Grey is many things and I'd say punctual is one of his top 5 character traits.

At 7:30am I was really starting to get worried. I walked over to the dining room window, really...I could see nothing from up here with the fog still thick in the air. Even if it were clear, I was high above the street and the people below would be unrecognizable. Mr. Grey's blackberry was on his nightstand charging, I'd just seen it when I made his bed. This was the one hour he was not attached to it during the day. Jason had his but I'd feel like a fool calling to check on them.

7:45am and I'm pacing, okay...it's not like these are children I'm worrying about; I know they are fully capable of taking care of themselves and I'm just being silly. If they are not back by 8am I'll text Jason, that will be better than a phone call.

7:59am the phone is in my hand and I'm typing the message when the elevator sounds it's arrival. I hold my breath and put the phone down, trying to act like everything it normal. When the doors open, my knee's buckle at the sight before me.

Running, yes, I said running. I ran around that breakfast bar to the elevator as soon as I see them step out. Well, Jason was stepping out. Mr. Grey could barely walk.

"What happened?" I scream.

"Just help me get him to his room." Jason says.

"I'm okay, Gail." Mr. Grey whispers as he puts his right arm over my shoulder. I put my arm around his waist for support as we walk to his bedroom.

Jason has him by his left side, his left ankle appears swollen and he is limping on it. When I was running to meet them I could see that Mr. Grey had blood on his face and they both looked like they had blood on their clothes. I glanced up and could see Mr. Grey had a scratch on the side of his face, what looked like blood under his nose and his eye looked a little swollen.

We get to his bedroom and sat him on the bed.

I step back.

"Sir, you really need to have these injuries checked, you can barely put weight on your ankle."

"I'll be fine, just let me get a shower and see how I feel."

"Yes sir."

"Thank you again, Jason; those ass holes didn't know who they were messing with did they."

"Just doing my job sir."

Watching this exchange between them and feeling like a spectator to a private conversation, I take a step back to excuse myself.

"Gail," Mr. Grey says, "would you bring me a large glass of juice, whatever we have, and some Advil please?"

"Yes sir, is there anything else I can get you?"

"Not now, I'll have breakfast after my shower."

Mr. Grey goes to stand and winces with pain and almost topples over.

Jason is by his side in an instant and Mr. Grey reaches for him before he falls, instinctively I'm sure.

"Sir, let me at least help you get into the bathroom."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea."

"You are going to have to get the ankle checked if nothing else."

"Shower first, then I'll think about it."

I leave to get the juice and medication, still not knowing what transpired on their run. What I do know is that they have formed some sort of bond that was not there before, Mr. Grey called 'Taylor' by his first name, 'Jason' and to my knowledge, he has NEVER done that before. I may not get all the details, but Jason is going to have to tell me some version of what happened.

Taking the juice and medication back down the hallway, I meet Jason coming out of Mr. Grey's room as he closes the door. He stops and leans against the wall.

"Are you okay?" I ask, pleading for more than a yes/no answer.

He reaches over and cups my cheek with one hand and gently places a kiss on my lips that I was not expecting. Leaning his forehead into mine he says, "I am fine. Long story I'll tell you all about later." He stands up and says, "Let me take this in, he can barely walk and I don't want him to have stumbled out into his bedroom naked for you to see." He gives me another quick kiss and takes the juice glass and small cup of pills out of my hand.

He opens the door and disappears and I know nothing more than a few minutes ago except that hopefully my two main men are okay. It takes him longer than it should to just leave the juice and meds and come back.

There is nothing for me to do standing here so I head back toward the kitchen.

Jason finally appears from Mr. Grey's bedroom.

"I'm going to take a 5 minute shower and get dressed. Your highness is convinced there is nothing wrong with him however his ankle is the size of a cantaloupe and he can barely stand. He is on the bed with it propped on pillows and I told him I'd ask you to bring his breakfast and an ice pack, so do you mind?"

"No, not at all. Will it be okay for me to find out what he'd like?"

"Yes, his door is open and he is decent. I'll be back in 5."

Jason disappears and I get a muffin heated and a hot cup of coffee and make an ice pack and rush to Mr. Grey's room.

Knocking so that I don't embarrass either of us, he calls for me to come in.

"Mr. Grey, Taylor said you were going to have breakfast in your room. I brought a muffin and coffee, what would you like to go with it sir?"

"An omelet and toast will be fine. And will you ask Taylor to bring my laptop? There's only so much I can do on my phone."

"Yes sir." I have placed the tray beside him on the bed. Standing I assess his injuries. His face looks better now that the blood is washed off and of course I can't see anything else except his huge ankle that is now turning blue.

"I have an ice pack for your ankle Mr. Grey. Do you want to put it on or would you like me to?"

He sighs and looks down at his ankle.

"Will you put it on the side where it is so swollen and blue please?"

Moving to the end of the bed I can really see now how bad it looks. I go to the bathroom to grab two clothes, one for under the ice and one for between the ice and his foot. I place the ice pack just beside his ankle then he gently moves his foot over to lay it on top of the pack.

"I'll get your breakfast and let Taylor know you need your laptop sir."

"Thank you Gail."

"Yes sir."

"Gail?"

"Sir?"

"Jason saved my life this morning, I know when he tells you about what happened he'll leave that part out, I just wanted to be sure you knew. We have a good man there."

Mr. Grey has always known how to leave me speechless and yet again, here I stand not knowing what to say. You could push me over with a feather, I can't move or speak.

"Yes...yes sir we do." I turn and walk out of his bedroom and make my way to the breakfast bar where I stand for a moment...wondering...what ever happened to them this morning has changed them forever.

"Gail, are you okay?" This time its Jason who brings me back, standing in front of me looking like a million dollars in a black suit and tie and smelling like a fresh body wash and a hint of manly cologne.

"You saved his life?" I really hadn't meant to say that but it comes out anyway.

He looks at me and has a fleeting look of embarrassment then slightly shakes his head.

"He pays me insanely to protect him and I did my job, anything less and I would have failed him."

"Jason, what you did for him was personal. He told me."

He shakes his head again and looks conflicted.

"I can't let it get personal, if I do, I can't protect him like I need to. So let's not talk about it again, it's my duty, my job, okay?" He starts to walk away.

"Mr. Grey asked that you bring his laptop." Jason stops and turns to head toward Mr. Grey's study and I start breakfast before Mr. Grey wonders what has happened to me.

Too late Jason, it is personal and it's written all over your face. How can it not be when you spend 24/7 with someone.

Pushing the thoughts of what happened out of my mind I get breakfast done and make my way back to Mr. Grey's room.

I can hear him on the phone and I enter slowly with the tray, not able to knock and he sees me and motions me in.

His laptop is beside him so Jason made his way back with it but is nowhere to be seen now, I assume he is in the security office. Placing the tray of food down on the bed so that he has everything in reach, I can't help but hear what he is saying on the phone. I believe he is talking to is assistant Andrea, telling her what to email him since he won't be in today. At least he is going to stay off his ankle, even if he is not going to have it looked at. He finishes just as I am about to leave.

"Thank you Gail."

"It's no problem at all Mr. Grey. Sir, don't you want to have your ankle x-rayed when you finish your breakfast?" I notice the swelling it on the top if his foot and all around his ankle, the ice seems to offer little relief.

"No, I don't." He starts to eat and does not look up at me again. Now he is back to acting like himself. I excuse myself without saying another word.

Checking the security office Jason is working on his laptop as well and I tell him his breakfast is ready. He comes out to the kitchen and gets his plate and takes it back to his office to eat. Everyone seems to have shifted back to business as usual. Men.

I finish my food and decide I'll at least freshen their coffee and offer them another muffin; I've brewed a fresh pot of coffee and heated the muffins and head first to Mr. Grey's room with the tray and carafe.

"Mr. Grey?" I call but he does not answer. Maybe he is in the bathroom and I don't want to embarrass him, we have left the door open and I don't close it but head to Jason's office instead.

"Jason, I have fresh coffee and warm muffins, would you like a refill?"

"Absolutely! I could eat the entire tray of muffins, you know that, I love these things. Did Grey eat anything else?"

"Well, no offense but of course I went there first and since I couldn't knock I called his name and he didn't answer so I assumed he was using the bathroom, I didn't go in the room to check though."

"Let me go make sure he is okay." Jason rises and I follow him back to Mr. Grey's room.

Knocking on the door Jason calls him name, no answer. Jason walks in and I decide to stay in the hallway, strategically standing so I can see in the room a little better though.

Jason calls out again and I still don't hear anything. Obviously he is not in the bed or Jason would have seen him so he must be in the bathroom.

"Dammit" I hear Jason yell; "Gail!" and I'm running again, this time into Mr. Grey's bathroom not knowing what to expect.

There sitting in the floor is Mr. Grey. Jason is squatting down beside him.

"I am going to have to pick you up sir, just hold on." In one quick move and before he can protest Jason has Mr. Grey up and in his arms and is walking toward the bed. "911 or your mother, either way I'm calling and someone is coming to look at your ankle, your choice sir."

Jason is not playing and he has his phone in his hand.

Mr. Grey is barely able to speak, "Mother, and let me speak to her."

Jason presses one button on his phone and steps back from the bed, Mr. Grey glares at him then lays his head back on the pillow and takes a deep breath.

"Dr. Trevelyan, Jason Taylor...Yes ma'am, Mr. Grey is fine...well that's not totally true ma'am. He had an accident while we were out running this morning and he is not able to stand on his left ankle and...yes ma'am...15 minutes...yes ma'am...I'll be waiting for you."

"She didn't want to speak to you, she is on her way."

"Thanks Jason. I thought I could make it to the bathroom...I got there okay, but then when I stood at the sink and put pressure on my foot it was more painful than I thought so I headed back to bed and I couldn't put any weight on it...I started to fall and didn't have anything to hold on to and down I went. I knew one of you would be checking on me soon so I just sat there for a few minutes."

"No more getting out of bed without help sir, at least before we get it looked at. I'll go let Dr. Trevelyan in."

Jason leaves the room and I walk around to get the pillow to put under Mr. Grey's foot.

Picking up the pillow and moving it to the foot of the bed Mr. Grey lifts his ankle and places it gently on the elevated pillow.

"Do you think it could be broken?" He looks like it makes him sick to even think it.

"Why don't we wait to see what your mother says. Let me get a fresh ice pack. Don't get up while I'm gone." I tell him with a sharp look on my face.

He holds both hands up in defeat. "Not moving again, I promise."

Shaking my head I leave to freshen the ice.

By the time I return and get Mr. Grey situated I hear Dr. Trevelyan and Jason coming in through the great room and down the hall. I don't think his mother has slowed for a second.

"Christian dear, what in the world have you done, son?" She says with the look of love and worry at the same time on her face.

"I just twisted my ankle this morning while running mother...thank you for coming over to look at it, I'm sorry to have interrupted you day."

"Nonsense dear, I'd drop everything for you or Elliott or Mia if you need me. Now let me get a look at you ankle."

She moves over and tentatively begins to exam, touching and twisting, pressing and turning.

Mr. Grey winces and grimaces but he never says a word, as if he can control his response to pain; I hate the fleeting thought of where he learned that technique.

"Well, without an x-ray to know for certain, I don't believe it is broken, but you do have a Grade III sprain and I have to tell you Christian, a sprain can be worse than a broken bone at times. The amount of swelling, bruising and tenderness you have tells me that this is not going away over night. You are going to have to stay off your foot at least 10 days to 2 weeks to let it heal. We use what is called the RICE method for the first 48 hours, Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. You have done everything except compression and I have brought a compression bandage and will show Gail and Taylor how to wrap your ankle. I'll have crutches sent over right away so that you can be up without putting weight on it and I'll leave a prescription for pain medication if you need it. Leave the ice on 15 minutes each hour when you are awake and don't put the ice directly against your skin. If the swelling and the pain are not going away after 48 hours you are going to need to get an x-ray. Call me and I'll arrange for it to be done at the hospital so you won't have to wait. If you don't follow these directions, it will not heal. So the healing and the amount of time it takes for your ankle to heal is up to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes mother, I understand and Gail and Taylor have stood here and heard every word you said as well so I feel certain your directions will be reinforced."

Jason and I both shake our heads in the affirmative as Mr. Grey and his mother look our way. She wraps his ankle showing us both how it done starting at his toes and criss-crossing up his foot and ankle.

"Good, today is Thursday, I expect you to stay right here in this bed through the weekend with your foot elevated; I'm sure you can run your empire from here until Monday. I see you have your laptop and phone, anything else you need I'm sure Taylor or Mrs. Jones can get for you and if not, your father and I will be glad to help in any way."

"That won't be necessary, I believe we will be fine but thank you for coming at such short notice."

"Anything for you my darling boy. And just to be sure I'll come back by tomorrow afternoon if that will be all right."

"Mother, that won't be ne-..."

"That will be fine Dr. Trevelyan, just call me when you are on your way and I'll be waiting on you." Jason interjects before Mr. Grey can finish his sentence. They cut their eyes at each other and with Jason towering over Mr. Grey while he is in the bed, Jason wins the battle.

"Thank you Taylor. Well, I'll just be getting back to the office for the afternoon but please call me and let me know if you need anything before tomorrow evening. That goes for any of you," Dr. Trevelyan says as she looks and me and Jason before leaning down to kiss Mr. Grey on top if his head.

"I'll see you out," Jason says as he steps to the door of the bedroom.

"I'll see you tomorrow Christian. Please stay off your foot."

"Yes mother. I'll see you tomorrow."

I look back at Mr. Grey and he had both hands running through his hair...I have not seen him do this in a really long time.

"Mr. Grey, what can I do to make this better. What can I get for you sir?"

"Nothing. I am just going to work until lunchtime."

"Yes sir." And with that I leave Mr. Grey alone.

He has his cell; I don't normally carry mine in my pocket but decide to get it in case Mr. Grey needs one of us.

Jason is back from escorting Dr. Trevelyan and I have waited as long as I can stand it.

"Are you going to tell me what happened this morning or do you want my imagination to continue to run wild?"

Pulling out one of the stools from the breakfast bar Jason looks at me with those crystal clear blue eyes.

"I'll tell you anything for a muffin and cup of coffee since I didn't get to have mine earlier."

"Well you are in luck Mr. Taylor, I am in the giving mood so get ready to tell your story." Muffin and coffee in front of him he devours the muffin in just a few bites and takes a few sips of coffee.

"Okay, so when we run, we have several different routes we take. I've thought for a while that there may be people who are wise to not only the fact that it was the Christian Grey running but that they were following us, at least part of the way. One of the routes we take goes down to Pike Place Market, around Waterfront Park and back. There are more and more people out and about in the early morning but in the beginning it was not a problem. So we get down to Waterfront Park and it seems like there are some people following and it seemed like a car was trying to keep up as well. We got back by the market and I caught a couple of paps snapping pics. When we make the turn on Virginia Street to head back home one of the ass holes jumps out in front of Grey to get a picture. Well he has his ear buds in and is in the zone and focused on running so when I yell at him to look out he can't hear me. What I don't realize is the paps are strategically placed at every corner, they know we'll have to slow down at least to look for the cross traffic and that's when they'll get their chance for a picture. I push the guy on the first corner out of the way and I can see the one on the next corner getting ready. He looks like an innocent bystander but I can see the camera he's holding close to his side. Grey has gotten several steps ahead of me by this time and I pick up the pace to catch up to him. I yell at him but it's a double edge sword, I'm trying to get his attention but by yelling his name I'm just announcing his arrival. He gets to the cross street, slows a fraction to look for traffic, the pap across the street is taking aim with a still camera then out steps another guy with video and that really pisses me off. I know they are gonna have him on the news out for his morning jog and that is gonna really piss him off so I have to do something. He has not responded to me yet so I take a deep breath to yell as loud as I can and about 10 things happen at once. I scream 'Christian' hoping that will catch his attention...he steps off the curb...the paps are flashing and rolling the video and some guy in a delivery van comes speeding up from Grey's left. He unfortunately, has slowed and looked over his right shoulder at me as I get his attention by calling his name and doesn't see the van speeding up, and he continues to take a few steps in to the street. I get to him just in time to grab him and pull him back. He realizes about the time I grab him the van is on top of us and a pap has come up behind that I don't see so as he jumps out of the way, he twists his ankle when his shoe catches in the drain grate and while lurching forward to grab the pap he lands flat on his face. I barely stumble because I release him to focus on all the cameras. Now get this. Grey is on his face with a twisted ankle. He grabs the guy with the camera in front of him and I get the two who happen to be side by side with the still and video that were across the street, but who have now come over to join our little face down on the curb party. Grey gets they guys camera and removes the card from it telling him he hopes that was all he had on it and the dude is screaming like a baby. My two are clutching their goods and once Grey takes care of his guy he reaches over to where I am and asks them to give up their footage as well. Needless to say they didn't give up easily, but neither did we. He just took the camera from the one guy and started deleting pictures until everything of him was gone. I knew the video would be a lot more precious so we have to give something up to this guy. I took his card from his camera and gave him my card and told him to call later and we would work out a deal to reimburse him for his loss. So that still left Mr. Grey on the curb and the paps with no pictures. I hailed a cab and got us the hell home as fast as I could. One second later Gail and I swear the van would have taken him out. His life flashed before my eyes then my life flashed before my eyes. We agreed no more running with ear buds, of course there won't be any more running for him at least for a few weeks anyway. So there you have it, our adventurous morning run, and run in with the Seattle paparazzi."

Tears are spilling out of my eyes and there is nothing I can do to stop them. I have controlled my breathing by staying focused on Jason's face and by telling myself over and over that they are both at home and they are both safe.

I am speechless and had no idea how close they both came to really getting hurt.

A sob escapes that I was trying to hold back and the tears keep coming. "Jason Taylor, let me tell you one thing...a picture is not going to hurt anyone...a life can't be replaced. Don't EVER put your life or let Mr. Grey put his life in danger like that again." I wrap my arms around myself as I feel a piece of my heart breaking at the thought of harm coming to either one of these men who mean the world to me.

Jason is off the bar stool and around the corner and I am in his arms before I know it.

"Hey, don't cry baby, we are both fine. I don't have a scratch on me and Grey's ankle will heal in no time and you know that pretty face of his will be no worse for the wear." He kisses the top of my forehead and by now I have to just cry it out. The poor guy has no idea what is really going on. He just holds me.

"Gail, baby, please. Nothing happened. I promise we'll be more careful but you don't need to worry about us. If anything I think we are closer now than we have ever been and today just proved that. Please baby, is something else wrong?"

I look up and his blue eyes are searching for an answer, for some reassurance that I am okay, that we are okay. Life is so fragile and just when I think I have learned to live with that fact, something happens that is a reminder that burns it ever clear into my mind again.

He reaches down and wipes the last few tears away with his thumbs as he cups my face and places a gentle kiss on my lips. Leaning back he looks at me, still searching for the answer.

I release my grip on him, not even realizing I had wrapped my arms so tightly around his waist and I step slightly back. He takes my hands, not wanting to lose contact.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, I look into his eyes and tell him.

"Jason have I ever told you exactly how my first husband died."

"Not that I recall, no."

"He died instantly when he was hit from behind by a car while he was out for a run. A witness said he never saw it coming, the driver was impaired. So you'll have to forgive me, this brings back a few too many vivid memories for me."

Jason is in front of me and this time asking permission with his eyes to hold me and kiss me and I welcome him and love feeling safe in his arms. I am at home in his arms. He gently lifts my chin up so we are blue eyes to blue eyes.

"I am so sorry for hurting you, I just did not know. Forgive me, Please."

I reach up to kiss him to let him know that I am okay, that we are okay; we kiss gently and sweet at first but it quickly turns in to something more; I want to let him know that I in love with him and I never want to let him go; I am ready to show him how I feel.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: So...this writer had to do some reading, I got hooked on a story I had to finish before anything in my life could go on.**

**My apologies for the delay...now on with sprained ankles, first times, another sub or two and an interview that changes everything...**

**All rights for Fifty Shades of Grey belong to E.L. James**

**Gail's back story...belongs to me!**

**Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure**

**Chapter 18**

You can't keep a good man down and keeping Christina Grey down, well, that's nearly impossible. With every second that passes the more restless he becomes. He stayed in bed Thursday, Friday he insisted on going to his study, Saturday he did not want Jason or I doing anything saying it was our time off. Dr. Trevelyan came by on Friday as promised and on Saturday evening Mr. Grey called Jason to let him know his brother Elliott was on his way over and asked Jason to let him in.

Mr. Grey was not in the best of moods and sometimes Elliott could cheer him up and other times, Elliott would just get frustrated and leave. Arriving with a 12 pack of some very expensive beer I had never even heard of that he assured me would make Mr. Grey happy, Jason showed Elliott in to the TV room where Mr. Grey had hobbled to on his crutches and I had taken pillows for him to keep his ankle elevated. He is already settled in one of the recliners. I take a tray of subs, a basket of chips and nuts and a plate of cookies and brownies and place it on the bar.

Elliott put all but two beers in the micro-fridge.

"Gail, will you marry me?" he asks as he reaches around my waist for a side hug and kisses my cheek. Jason and Mr. Grey glare at him and Mr. Grey speaks.

"Elliott, keep you hands off my staff. I don't like it and I'm quite sure Taylor does not appreciate it, can you show him and Mrs. Jones some respect?"

"What? Are you two..." he looks back and forth between me and Jason, "Taylor, man, I'm sorry. You know I'm just kidding, she is such a great cook and you know I don't have anyone taking care of me like you guys do."

"Elliott, just shut up." Mr. Grey says. I'm just going to get out of here.

"Gail, you know I didn't mean anything, I'm sorry."

"It's fine Mr. Grey. If you all will excuse me; please let me know if you need anything." I leave the room as quickly as possible. I hear Jason saying basically the same thing, asking Mr. Grey to call him if he needs anything.

Jason meets me in our great room, he has closed the door to the staff quarters and he has his phone if Mr. Grey needs him. He is getting around pretty good on his crutches but after a night of drinking beer I'm hoping he will be able to make it back to bed when the night is done.

As Jason approaches me, seething, I know I need to intervene. Grabbing his hand I lead him to the couch, motion for him to sit and I crawl into his lap and wrap my arms around him. He wastes no time, his assault makes a statement of possession.

His mouth is on mine and he is holding me tightly. He seeks entrance and I open my mouth and his warm tongue does things to me that I can feel to my toes. I can feel his response and both our breathing quickens. I am about to explode just from his kiss.

"Gail, baby, I can't kiss you like this out here on the couch. I know Grey can't come walking in but his idiot brother can barge in any second since he thinks he has access to what is mine."

Looking at Jason making sure he is looking at me, he is angry and pouting and in need of attention since Mr. Grey has been so needy these last few days.

I take his hand and place it over my heart that is racing.

"Jason, do you feel how fast my heart is pounding?" I just stare into those beautiful blue eyes for a moment. "This heart belongs to you." Taking my index finger I point into his chest, "You, Jason Taylor, are the only man who can make my heart beat like this and who can take my breath away." Leaning in I kiss him and he possesses me again, pressing his lips to my and kissing me back as if his life depended on it.

He releases me and I stand and walk toward the kitchen, reaching into the refrigerator I get him a beer and walk back to the couch.

"I think you can use one of these too."

"Thanks baby, I believe I will."

"I'll get us a snack."

"I'd rather take this little party to a more private location."

"Well Mr. Taylor, if you promise to behave, tell me where, your house or mine?"

"Yours, less chance of anyone just busting in the room."

I get snacks and another beer for Jason and we head to my room and the sitting area. As much as we would both like to spend the night together, with Mr. Grey and his brother in the next room tonight is not the night.

Jason is on the couch with his feet propped up nursing his beer and munching on chips.

"When Grey is well I want us to ask him for a weekend off. We need some time away, if you would like to go away for the weekend with me that is, Mrs. Jones."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Can I be perfectly honest and you promise not to get angry?"

"I hope you will always be honest Jason."

He reaches over to where I have sat down beside him on the couch and takes my hand, brings it to his lips and places kisses across my knuckles.

"Gail, there are things I want to say," he kisses my hand again; "there are things I want to do," he kisses my hand and pulls me closer and kisses the side of my neck under my ear. "I want to say and do those things somewhere special, not here in Grey's apartment. I want to be somewhere that we can call our own, for our own special memories."

I am melting into his arms and falling hard...and oh do I want to hear what he has to say and feel what he wants to do.

"Do you trust me Gail? Do you trust me to plan something special for us when Grey will give us some time off? I don't want to do anything to offend you like before so I'm asking permission but I would like to surprise you if you'll let me."

"I trust you and I appreciate you asking me. I appreciate you making sure we have something special just for us. Let's wait until Mr. Grey is fully recovered before we ask for time off, I don't want him to feel bad about being off his feet for a while, that's all I ask."

"Yes, he will be more agreeable once he is on his feet again."

For now it is enough for both of us to just make out like love-sick teenagers on the couch. I know it might seem ridiculous and old-fashioned but Jason wants to make our first time special. He knows that will mean the world to me. I really don't mind so much that we leave here, this is our home, it's where we met so this place is special to me, but I understand why he wants to get away, more so because he will know he is "off work" and that Mr. Grey will not be calling him and interrupting us.

My internal alarm clock goes off around 5:30am no matter what so I am awake early on Sunday and just can't go back to sleep. Up and dressed before 6 I decide to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet.

I notice on my way out to the kitchen that Jason's door is still closed, of course Mr. Grey is not running so Jason I'm sure it taking advantage of sleeping in. Standing there with a fleeting thought, wondering what he'd say if I went in and surprised him with a good morning kiss. I shake my head and move on to the coffee that awaits, knowing that if I go in, I may not make it back out.

I fill the pot with water and notice that I hear the faint sound of voices. Starting the coffee, I walk closer to the door that leads out to the main apartment and the voices grow louder. It does not sound like Mr. Grey but it's a conversation, I'm sure of it.

Opening the door and peeking out, not sure what I might find, I see the light coming from the TV room and I believe the sound is the TV. Mr. Grey may not have been able to turn everything off being on his crutches, surely Mr. Elliott could have helped him...men!

Walking toward the room I can now hear the television program going on and I begin to wonder what kind of mess those two made for me, when I enter the room, what I find is not at all what I expect.

It is definitely the television making the noise, the Nickelodeon channel is on showing reruns of some old shows that would have been on when the Grey brothers where younger. Gasping and realizing I really should cover my eyes and not look I find both "boys" sound asleep and looking like little angels, however, when I survey the room, I see the little devils they are. At some point during the night, they finished off the beer and moved on to the liquor cabinet as there are a few empty bottles sitting on the end tables between them. I have to admit, they are both fine specimens of manhood. The older Mr. Grey is sprawled out on the couch. His blonde curls are all messed up around his head that his partly hanging off one end while one of his long muscular legs is propped up on the back of the couch and one is flexed with his foot just touching his bottom. He is laying there in a pair of boxer briefs with the edge of a blanket in his hand that I'm sure once last night was covering everything, this morning, though, not so much. He has a six pack, no wait, an eight pack of muscles on his chiseled abdomen and his shoulders are so broad they are hanging off the edge of the couch. I don't think he has an ounce of body fat on him. He has the most peaceful almost grin on his face and I only hope it is from sharing a good time last night with his younger brother.

Speaking of his younger brother...my boss is still in the recliner thank goodness. I guess I'm glad he is in his pajama pants, but at some point he has taken his shirt off. They must have gotten rowdy last night because while I am not intimate with him, I know he does not take his shirt off for anyone. I stand there and take the opportunity to study him for a moment as well. He really is a gorgeous man. His copper waves are really getting long, he needs a haircut. A few waves curl toward his face but most fall back as he is sleeping soundly fully reclined. His eyelashes look an inch long as they fan across his upper cheeks. His lips are slightly parted and his breathing is even. I wonder what most women would pay to do what I am doing? His chest and abdomen, like his brothers is defined by ridges of skin over tight muscles. Sadly, my Mr. Grey's chest tells the horror story of his childhood with the scars of torture that he endured. I've seen them before, when he's come in after a run or hard exercise and is pulling his shirt off but I've never had the chance to really study his chest before. Each scar tells a story, spaced randomly, all a little different, some just a fraction larger than the others. The larger ones of course would have been the worst, those when the monster pressed the cigarette down a little harder and held it to his chest a little longer.

Shaking my head, I turn away to wipe the tears that are now falling and much to my surprise I see Jason standing in the doorway.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asks with a bit of disgust and anger spit out through his clenched teeth.

I am not even able to respond to him, I just walk out the door and right back to my kitchen and the coffee I had completely forgotten about. Standing there looking out the window at nothingness because the fog and darkness are still too thick, I weep.

No sound, just tears.

For the man in the recliner who has scars so deep in his soul that he does not understand them.

For the man on the couch who suffered loss at such a young age that in his quest to fill the void, looks for love, just as the man in the recliner, in all the wrong ways and places.

For the man in the doorway, who I love and I know loves me, but is a bit jealous of the man in the recliner, because he knows I love the man in the recliner as well...in a totally different realm and on a totally different level and in such a different way; but none the less, I do love him and he does have a piece of my heart.

Once all the tears have fallen, I splash some cool water on my face, take a paper towel to dry it and finally...pour myself a cup of coffee.

Jason is sitting quietly behind me, hands folded atop the breakfast bar and staring at them, I'm sure he's afraid to look up at me.

I honestly don't feel I owe him any explanation and if anything, I believe he owes an apology. That being said, I go to the den and take a seat in a comfortable chair and enjoy my coffee. Time ticks slowly by and the silence is deafening.

Thinking I'll have a second cup, I make my way back to the kitchen. As I walk by the breakfast bar, Jason reaches out for me, meaning to grab my arm. He makes contact, however, I turn away and keep walking. In no mood to play this game with him, I continue about my journey to get more coffee. I make it to the counter and am about to pick up the pot.

"I can't stand the thoughts of you looking at another man, and when I saw you in the room with those two, who I find it hard to have any respect for after their night of drunken stupor, I snapped. I wanted you out of there for a million reasons. Elliott is naked, they are both passed out drunk and right then, all I could think about was you are going to have to clean up after those two useless slobs but then as I stood watching you...it seemed you were enjoying looking at them. I'm sorry I said anything to you and I have no idea what you are thinking, especially when you turned around and you're in tears. But please talk to me because right now, I am going crazy not knowing what is going through your mind, and I'm sure my imagination is worse than what the truth is. Please?"

Before I can touch the coffee pot, his hard body is pressed behind me and his right hand is on mine to stop me from picking up the pot, his left hand is on mine and he is basically holding me in place. Not really so I can't move, but more so that I will stop and listen. He has leaned slightly to my right to speak, not directly in my ear in quite so intimate a way, but close enough that I can barely feel his breath on my neck when he speaks. I tremble at his first touch but try to calm as he continues.

"Please?" He says again, this time almost in a whisper, a whisper that is begging and filled with a hint of fear.

I wiggle from him just enough so he will let go of me in order that I can turn around to face him.

Feeling the tears well up again I take a deep breath because I am going to be totally honest and let the chips fall where they may.

"You are right Jason. When I walked in there, after I got over the shock of the disaster of the room, I did enjoy myself for about 30 seconds. I looked at Elliott and thought what a good-looking man he is laid out there in his boxer briefs." I felt Jason flinch and tighten like he was ready to strike, well perhaps like he had just receive a dagger to his heart.

"Then I looked at Mr. Grey and thought what a good-looking man he is too, and that he needed a hair cut, and wondered what most women would pay to stand where I am doing what I am doing. That all lasted about 30 seconds. Then I took the chance to study Mr. Grey's chest and the cigarette burn scars and was thinking about the horrors that he had lived through. Did you know that some of the scars are bigger than the others, in fact I think some may be a little deeper too. Do you know what that means Jason? That means that some of those times when that monster was doing that to him, before he was 4 years old, they held the cigarette down with more pressure and held it down longer so that the burn would go deeper and make the burn wider. Did you ever know that Jason? That is what I was doing when you walked in. I wasn't standing there lusting after him or his brother, I was standing there mourning for him and what he has endured and what those physical scars mean and the impact they still have on him today."

I am really crying now and since I'm on a roll, I might as well get this out once and for all.

"And just for the record. I love Christian Grey. Get over it, Jason, I love him. He has a piece of my heart. But I am not in love with him. I love and respect him because he has respected me from the minute I met him at an employment agency over 2 years ago. He has taken care of me, he has respected me, he has never done anything but protect and provide for me and he is the best employer I have ever had. I have lived in this house with him for over 2 years. I have seen his women, and I use that term loosely, come and go, and he has treated me, as his housekeeper better than every single one of them. He cares about me Jason and if he had to admit it, if he even knows what love is, I'd say he loves me too, like a trusted friend or family member. Just like he loves and cares about you Jason. He can not and if he could I'm sure he would not admit it but we are his friends, we are his family. And I. AM. NOT. IN. LOVE. WITH. HIM. WE. ARE. NOT. IN. LOVE. WITH. EACH. OTHER. I have only ever been in love with two men in my entire life and one of them is dead. But I will tell you this. Do not put me in a position to make me chose between the two of you. I love you Jason Taylor but if you are not any more secure in the love that I have for you and in our relationship than to be jealous or insecure about what I feel for Mr. Grey, then we have a problem. Do not ever, and I mean ever question my feelings or my relationship with Christian Grey again. Do you understand me?" I realize when I finish that I have been screaming and I am so upset I am shaking.

I am staring at Jason and he is staring right back at me and I really believe he in shock.

Suddenly the silence is broken when we both turn at the same time.

"Gail, is there a problem?"

Hobbling toward us on his crutches is Mr. Grey, with his shirt on and Elliott is right beside him, dressed in the same clothes he had on last evening.

They both look like they are in 'we've come to rescue Gail' mode.

This will be interesting, I wonder how much of the last 5 minutes I am going to have to explain, how long could they possibly have stood in here listening?


End file.
